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Speaker 1: What is up? Mets fans, Welcome back to a special

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Speaker 1: episode of the Mets Up Podcast. We told you earlier

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Speaker 1: in the week we're gonna have a special guest on.

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Speaker 1: We've got Tim Healy, Boots on the Ground, import Saint Lucy.

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Speaker 1: We're gonna go over all things spring train. We've got

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Speaker 1: a lot of questions for him again, Boots on the Ground,

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Speaker 1: B's on the g We we got to know what's

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Speaker 1: going on down there in PSL. Tim, thank you for

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Speaker 1: coming on. First time appearance on the Mets Up Podcast.

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Speaker 2: What's going on? Thank you for having me? What's going

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Speaker 2: on is a great question. It's week three out of

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Speaker 2: six of spring training, so not a whole lot is

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Speaker 2: going on.

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Speaker 3: We're definitely gonna ask you from some PSL what to

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Speaker 3: do tips at the end, but just being there for

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Speaker 3: this first week. Games got started up last weekend. The

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Speaker 3: Mets are actually undefeated right now in spring sure, great

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Speaker 3: bruit league play, unstoppable. What's the general vive the general

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Speaker 3: tenor around the team right now? Coming off the disappointing season,

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Speaker 3: coming off the kind ofwake off season.

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Speaker 2: Just what's feel? It's been way different in a lot

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Speaker 2: of ways for a lot of reasons. There's less buzz,

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Speaker 2: but it's also a looser, more chill clubhouse, and there's

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Speaker 2: a lot that goes into that different leadership, right, No

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Speaker 2: Buck Show, Walter Nobiley Eppler. Now there's Carlos Mendoza and

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Speaker 2: David Stearns. There are fewer stars on the roster in

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Speaker 2: the clubhouse. So the locker that had been occupied, for example,

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Speaker 2: by Justin Verlander last year and Jacob de Gram in

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Speaker 2: the years before that, now belongs to Luis Severino, who

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Speaker 2: is suppose, I suppose, the biggest name pitcher they added

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Speaker 2: over the offseason, but doesn't quite stack up with the others.

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Speaker 2: And it's it's so it's it's it's really relaxed. There

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Speaker 2: are some good prospects in camp, but it sounds, it

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Speaker 2: feels like a good situation for this particular version of

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Speaker 2: the Mets because there's sort of in a mode where, Okay,

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Speaker 2: the expectations externally or lower. Maybe they're loose, maybe they're

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Speaker 2: maybe they'll surprise the people. So that's sort of where

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Speaker 2: camp is at right now.

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Speaker 1: Now. You mentioned them feeling loose, You mentioned the difference

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Speaker 1: in leadership right now. Is that something that is like

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Speaker 1: indicative of the vibe that Carlos Mendoza has been given

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Speaker 1: that he's just a little bit more relaxed, a little

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Speaker 1: bit of a younger guy as well. Is that what

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Speaker 1: he's seeming to aim for as the vibe or that's

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Speaker 1: just something that's naturally happened.

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Speaker 2: I think it's just something that naturally has happened. Like

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Speaker 2: I said, with fewer there are no doubt hall of

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Speaker 2: famers in the room, right Lindor's on a track. You

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Speaker 2: can make some case for some guys, but there's no

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Speaker 2: sure as or there's no verlander. I think guys are

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Speaker 2: a lot freer to be themselves. I think the switch

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Speaker 2: from Buck Showalter, who was old, who had been managing

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Speaker 2: longer than a lot of those mets had been alive,

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Speaker 2: to a bilingual, first timer rookie from the Yankees lie

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Speaker 2: but he's not really stuffy like you think the Yankees are.

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Speaker 2: It's a huge change. It's a big change. And that's

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Speaker 2: not to say one option or the other is more correct,

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Speaker 2: but the difference is definitely noticeable.

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Speaker 3: Getting to know Mendoz a little bit of his last

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Speaker 3: few weeks, what's like a moment or maybe a little

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Speaker 3: story or like a drill or just something you mentioned

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Speaker 3: being around that could kind of give Mets fans like

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Speaker 3: a better insight to who he is as a manager

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Speaker 3: baseball guy.

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Speaker 2: I think it's been really interesting to watch him talk

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Speaker 2: shop in the field with the infielders. He came up

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Speaker 2: after he was after he retired as a player in

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Speaker 2: a minor league career that really didn't go anywhere. He

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Speaker 2: transitioned into coaching and got into the infield side of it.

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Speaker 2: He was a pretty good infielder, solid infielder as a player,

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Speaker 2: and so that was just a natural fit. Came up

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Speaker 2: that way through the Yankees farm system, got onto their

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Speaker 2: major league staff, initially as the infield coach, and it's

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Speaker 2: been interesting to see him retain some of that role.

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Speaker 2: He's been talking with Brett Baty and Marcaveande's a bunch

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Speaker 2: he's talked with Pete Alonso. The first day Alonso was

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Speaker 2: in camped, the pitchers and catchers had already been around

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Speaker 2: for a few days. Alonzo showed up and it was

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Speaker 2: kind of funny to see Mendoza give Alonzo a little

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Speaker 2: extra attention that he really hadn't given the other early

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Speaker 2: reporting infielders. Just getting a sense on how we play

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Speaker 2: for his base. What Mendoza thinks, you know, how he

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Speaker 2: goes about those sorts of things, throwing backing away from

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Speaker 2: the bass, whatever. So some of the finer technical points,

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Speaker 2: you know, given the superstar first baseman a little extra

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Speaker 2: love and attention on his first day was striking. But

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Speaker 2: he's also talked with Lindor, who obviously doesn't exactly need

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Speaker 2: tips on how to play shortstop. But it's interesting because

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Speaker 2: when coaches become managers, they don't always stick with their

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Speaker 2: coaching specialty. Right. I covered Don Mattingly on the Marlins,

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Speaker 2: and he was before that a hitting coach and before

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Speaker 2: for that an excellent, excellent first basement, and he did

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Speaker 2: not really take a hands on approach with either of

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Speaker 2: those things when he was with the Marlins. So it's

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Speaker 2: been interesting to see Mendoza keep that aspect of his

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Speaker 2: daily routine really as manager.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, and you talked about the fact that,

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Speaker 1: like sometimes the managers were switching roles, their feel changes

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Speaker 1: a little bit.

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Speaker 2: Here.

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Speaker 1: What has the feel been like having a couple of

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Speaker 1: those coaches from the old coaching staff still sticking around

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Speaker 1: with Carlos Mendoz and all the new guys with Eric

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Speaker 1: Schavaz and Jeremy Hefner.

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Speaker 2: It seemed really seamless when change was happening at the

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Speaker 2: end of last season, and you figured Buck was a

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Speaker 2: toss up, and then he was gone, and then the

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Speaker 2: coaching staff was up in the air. If the Mets

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Speaker 2: were going to keep anybody, it was probably going to

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Speaker 2: be Hefner, you know, it was probably going to be

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Speaker 2: the hitting coaches, Chavez or you know, he was the

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Speaker 2: bench coach, but now as the hitting coach, Eric Chavs

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Speaker 2: and Army Barnes. They kept a couple of others, right,

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Speaker 2: Danny Barnes and Glenn Sherlock, some of their strategy coaches.

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Speaker 2: Sherlock still works with the Cashers too, but really he

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Speaker 2: was the hitting coach and pitching coaches. Pitching coach and

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Speaker 2: hitting coaches. Excuse me, who would be the ones to

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Speaker 2: keep it? And it seems, like I said, it, pretty seamless.

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Speaker 2: You wouldn't really know that there was a managerial change

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Speaker 2: based on the way those guys have gone about their jobs,

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Speaker 2: which makes sense because to a certain degree they are

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Speaker 2: pretty autonomous. A lot of the pitching stuff just runs

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Speaker 2: through Hafner and Mendoza isn't really involved in that decision making,

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Speaker 2: at least at this point when they're all just working

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Speaker 2: out and building up and whatnot. So Hefner's in charge

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Speaker 2: of the pitching department, so to speak, and he was

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Speaker 2: last year and he is this year, still the shop.

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Speaker 3: The situation has like kind of gotten weirder and weirder

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Speaker 3: that the days have gone on. We heard Gary Keith

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Speaker 3: and Ram mentioned the first game, but he's back where

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Speaker 3: he belongs. We heard him say quote that he was

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Speaker 3: apologizing people and was sorry had last year when and

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Speaker 3: even just the concept of being a hitting coach to

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Speaker 3: a bench coach and back to a hitting coach. I

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Speaker 3: can't remember any other coach in the league who's done that.

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Speaker 3: So is there is there kind of like a relief,

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Speaker 3: a refreshment around Java is now switching back in.

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Speaker 2: Roles of where.

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Speaker 3: What kind of pushed him out of the bench cult

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Speaker 3: role or reason maybe into the bench cult role last year.

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Speaker 2: If you have any knowledge on that, I'm glad you asked,

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Speaker 2: because I wrote about this a few days ago for

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Speaker 2: Newsday and I talked to Shavs about it, and as

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Speaker 2: you mentioned, yeah, he was the bench coach last year

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Speaker 2: and was never really comfortable in that role, and that happened. Initially,

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Speaker 2: that promotion from hitting coach to bench coach happened because

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Speaker 2: the Mets wanted to keep Jeremy Barnes, he was their

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Speaker 2: assistant hitting coach. Teams came to the Mets and said, hey,

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Speaker 2: can we talk to Jeremy Barnes. Instead of saying yes,

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Speaker 2: the Mets promoted Jeremy Barnes to lead hitting coach, which

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Speaker 2: means Eric Shavez needed another job, which means he became

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Speaker 2: bench coach. And he's a guy who's pretty highly regarded

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Speaker 2: in baseball. He wants to be a manager, So at

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Speaker 2: the time, bench coach seemed like, yeah, sure, that seems

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Speaker 2: like a natural next step for Eric Chavez. And then

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Speaker 2: he did that job for a year and never really

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Speaker 2: felt comfortable in it. He felt disconnected from the players.

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Speaker 2: To use his own word, disconnected and to explain the

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Speaker 2: apologizing bit, it was at the end of last year

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Speaker 2: he approached players and sort of those quiet moments as

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Speaker 2: they played out the string and basically said, I'm sorry,

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Speaker 2: my bad. I felt like I should have been there

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Speaker 2: more for you guys, and they, of course said, you

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Speaker 2: were here for us. But I think it speaks to

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Speaker 2: how what an unexpected switch that was. I thought that

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Speaker 2: when they promoted Chavez promoted Barnes, all the hitting stuff

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Speaker 2: would pretty much stay the same. But Chaves said he

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Speaker 2: really went out of his way to not be in

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Speaker 2: the in the day to day grind with the hitters

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Speaker 2: because he didn't want to step on the toes of

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Speaker 2: the actual hitting coaches. Now now, when Searns came over,

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Speaker 2: he's told Chavis straight up, I want to keep you.

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Speaker 2: I will leave that decision up to the manager. And

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Speaker 2: then Mendoza got hired and they kept Barnes. But it

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Speaker 2: sounds like Shavis was down for whatever hitting coach. Suret

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Speaker 2: bench coach short if they wanted it to interview for manager,

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Speaker 2: of course he would interview. If Sterens wanted Chaves to

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Speaker 2: go to the front office, which Chaves has done in

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Speaker 2: the past with the Yankees, he would have done that too.

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Speaker 2: So he's just a good baseball guy to have around.

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Speaker 2: And I think that hitting coach role, as Gary said

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Speaker 2: on the sy broadcast, is just sort of a natural

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Speaker 2: fit for it right now.

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Speaker 1: Totally yeah, And I mean he was a great player,

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Speaker 1: like you said, like even with the A's, the six

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Speaker 1: gold gloves in a Row. He was unbelievable. So there's

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Speaker 1: also been another player, and I know you wrote about

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Speaker 1: this as well, that's been hanging around spring training a

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Speaker 1: little bit more on the field, and so I'm in

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Speaker 1: the dugout as well for some of these games. Carlos Beltrot.

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Speaker 1: We know that he kind of had this role ish

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Speaker 1: last year. He was like the special advisor Billy Eppler. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: it seemed like the involvement was kind of more behind

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Speaker 1: the scenes, where now he's really more hands on. So

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Speaker 1: how exactly do you think that happened.

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Speaker 2: That's a great question. So I'm sure people remember that

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Speaker 2: it was around this time last year that Beltron getting

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Speaker 2: hired by the Mets was a pretty big deal. He

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Speaker 2: had been Mets manager for a hot second, never managed

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Speaker 2: the game, and then was like unofficially banished basically from

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Speaker 2: baseball for a couple of years, aside from a little

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Speaker 2: broadcasting stuff. So when the Mets brought him back into

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Speaker 2: the fold, it was it was a big deal. The

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Speaker 2: former manager, technically the former all star center field are

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Speaker 2: one of the probably the best rage in signing in

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Speaker 2: the history of the Mets, and the line, the company

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Speaker 2: line from the Mets at the time was he's gonna

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Speaker 2: be hands on with the player development and go visit

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Speaker 2: the minor league teams, and he's so wise, he knows

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Speaker 2: so much stuff. He's gonna be able to share that

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Speaker 2: with young players. And I'm not sure how much of

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Speaker 2: that actually happened, for reasons that I don't I can't

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Speaker 2: speak to. I don't I don't know how much he

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Speaker 2: did or didn't do. It sounds like this year, though,

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Speaker 2: they want Beltron to be more involved, specifically on the

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Speaker 2: major league side, so he might still do some minor

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Speaker 2: league visits. But David Sterns said to Beltron, I want

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Speaker 2: you with the major league team on the road, and

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Speaker 2: I'm not sure how frequent that will be, but it

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Speaker 2: sounds like it'll be a pretty common thing. So David

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Speaker 2: Sterns's thinking, and Beltron's thinking is, let me back up.

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Speaker 2: David Sterns' thinking is, here's Carlos Beltron. Should be a

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Speaker 2: Hall of Famer baseball genius by all accounts. Let's have

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Speaker 2: him around the team. It could only be a good thing.

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Speaker 2: Beltron's thinking is, you know, he he's a member of

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Speaker 2: the front office, right, He's not a coach, he's not

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Speaker 2: the manager. He is a special assistant to the President

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Speaker 2: of Baseball Operations. And these days, there are not a

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Speaker 2: lot of front office guys, including in the Mets front office,

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Speaker 2: who played baseball period, never mind played it for as

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Speaker 2: long and as successfully as he did. So Beltron views

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Speaker 2: himself as somebody who could be a really really helpful

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Speaker 2: go between between the players in the front office, which,

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Speaker 2: like stern says, is you know, or as Sterns thinks,

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Speaker 2: can only be a good thing. So the special assistant,

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Speaker 2: the special advisor title is a little nebulous. It's there

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Speaker 2: are about as many job descriptions as there are people

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Speaker 2: who hold that title. But for Beltron this year, it's

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Speaker 2: going to be being around the Mets, and as we've

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Speaker 2: seen the last few days in the dugout during spring training,

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Speaker 2: which is pretty cool.

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Speaker 3: Really cool, and I think that we it's interesting. We

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Speaker 3: went through the Mets team directory for an episode we

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Speaker 3: did a few days ago, and Carls Beltron is the

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Speaker 3: second person listed under the Mets front office, directly after

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Speaker 3: David Searnch. I think is very interesting the fact that

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Speaker 3: he was again like hired almost in not hired in silence,

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Speaker 3: hired with fan Fit, and then now pushed onto the

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Speaker 3: major league team kind of in silence, and now he

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Speaker 3: seems like he's going to be this auxiliary member of

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Speaker 3: the front office, like liaison to the team and the manager.

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Speaker 3: Do you think you said mentioned that this was a

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Speaker 3: basically a Stern's decision. Do you think there's any relation

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Speaker 3: in this decision to the fact that there is a

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Speaker 3: first time big league manager here compared to someone who

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Speaker 3: had basically thirty years of experienced at big League Dodugas

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Speaker 3: last year and Buckshow Walter, I.

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Speaker 2: Don't think so, because I don't think Sterns views the

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Speaker 2: Beltron thing as you know, helping Mendoza specifically, because really,

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Speaker 2: what does Carlos Beltron know about managing? Nothing? Nothing. He

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Speaker 2: knows about he knows about hitting, he knows about life

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Speaker 2: in the majors, he knows about what it's like to win,

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Speaker 2: what it's like to lose, what it's like to be

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Speaker 2: in the day to day trenches. So I think there's

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Speaker 2: a lot of wisdom that can be dispensed and the

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Speaker 2: way Beltron put it, and I forgot to include this

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Speaker 2: quote in my story, which I was kicking myself for

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Speaker 2: after was that Beltron's job, according to Beltron is to

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Speaker 2: have baseball conversations with whoever wants to engage him. So same, Yeah, yeah, exactly,

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Speaker 2: Lindor and veteran players, young players like Alvarez and Badi

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Speaker 2: and vant Do's coaches, if Mendoza wants to engage sure, Yeah,

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Speaker 2: of course they know each other. They do know each

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Speaker 2: other from the Yankees day, so they have something of

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Speaker 2: a foundational relationship. So Beltron is just gonna be around,

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Speaker 2: and I think it's sort of free form. They'll see

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Speaker 2: where it takes them.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, the vibe definitely feels, like you said,

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Speaker 1: a little bit different even from us watching at home

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Speaker 1: like we saw today Antoine Richardson doing that drill with

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Speaker 1: the outfielders where they're dropping the ball in the kitching machine,

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Speaker 1: tuning up and catching it. And I don't really know

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Speaker 1: what the actual like necessity is to do that drill,

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Speaker 1: what it actually helps with, but it just felt loose.

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Speaker 1: I felt like the guys were like like laughing and

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Speaker 1: having a good time, which is something that I feel

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Speaker 1: like we saw a lot in twenty twenty two, didn't

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Speaker 1: see a lot in twenty twenty three.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a great point. Those guys were having a

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Speaker 2: good time with that drill, and yes, they some of

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Speaker 2: them drop balls, but they were they were loose and

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Speaker 2: having fun. And let's be honest, they're all major league outfielders,

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Speaker 2: So I don't know how much skill development you really

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Speaker 2: need at this at this point, but you know, they

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Speaker 2: were having a good time, and I think there is

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Speaker 2: some value to that. On February twenty eighth, when you're

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Speaker 2: in the dog days of spring training a little bit,

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Speaker 2: as I as I call it, it seems like there's

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Speaker 2: a good vibe.

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Speaker 3: It seems like another part of this vibe, especially compared

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Speaker 3: to the last year being one of the oldest teams

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Speaker 3: in baseball, is all the prospects in camp right now

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Speaker 3: and all the excitement after the trades from last year

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Speaker 3: and even just the draft with Jet Williams, Louisa Helicunya,

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Speaker 3: Drew Gilbert getting in these games, getting reps like running, hitting, fielding.

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Speaker 3: There's a there's a youthful element. What's what's the buzz

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Speaker 3: around them for people in Port Saint Lucy and just

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Speaker 3: where where do you think those guys are in terms

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Speaker 3: of major league readiness or how soon they could possibly contribute.

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Speaker 2: It's fun because every sparring there are a couple of prospects,

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Speaker 2: but I want to say this is the biggest group

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Speaker 2: or the group in my now seven spring trainings. On

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Speaker 2: the beat right, Pete Alonzo was a big prospect in

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Speaker 2: twenty nineteen, Alvarez had his springs, Beaty was around. But

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Speaker 2: to have the position player trio of Jet Williams, Luisan

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Speaker 2: Helecunya and Drew Gilbert in the upper Miners and then

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Speaker 2: the starting pitcher trio of Christian Scott, Mike Vassel, and

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Speaker 2: Dominic Hamill in the Upper Miners, any and all of

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Speaker 2: whom could feasibly reach the majors this year is a

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Speaker 2: level that the Mets farm system has not been at

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Speaker 2: in a while. To have that many legit prospects eking

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Speaker 2: closer to the majors when they'll get there, it's it's

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Speaker 2: a little different. Gilbert and Akunya are a little head

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Speaker 2: of Jet Williams, just in terms of timing and where

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Speaker 2: they finished twenty twenty three. Williams, I have to assume

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Speaker 2: will open in Binghamton and then on the on the

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Speaker 2: pitching side vassals in Triple A last year, so he

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Speaker 2: could be called up any given time. The Mets need

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Speaker 2: to starter if they want to go that route, and

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Speaker 2: there are other considerations forty man roster, service time stuff,

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Speaker 2: who's pitching well when. But then Christian Scott also is

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Speaker 2: going to be starting at Triple A and Dominic Hamill

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Speaker 2: probably will be two, So there's gonna be a lot

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Speaker 2: of names. Syracuse is gonna be a fun time this year.

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Speaker 1: Definitely gonna try and make our way up to the

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Speaker 1: Great North New York, Upstate New York and in Syracuse

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Speaker 1: at some point to watch those guys. Is there anybody

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Speaker 1: outside of those big prospects that has been making a

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Speaker 1: name for themselves right now in camp that maybe we're

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Speaker 1: not hearing that much about Nate Lavender.

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Speaker 2: It depends on how much it depends on your level

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Speaker 2: of fandom. I guess if you know anything about Nate Lavender.

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Speaker 2: But he's a he's a lefty, he throws in the

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Speaker 2: low nineties and he strikes out a ton of dudes.

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Speaker 2: Somehow he I classify him as this year's Grant Heartwig

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Speaker 2: or this year's Colin Holderman where in sprit he's in

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Speaker 2: big league camp. He's not on the forty man, but

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Speaker 2: he is a little bit of a relief prospect for

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Speaker 2: as much as a reliever can be a prospect. Right,

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Speaker 2: it's a lower bar or a different a different threshold,

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Speaker 2: and he won't make the team out of camp, but

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Speaker 2: he's gonna get a shot. If he goes to Syracuse

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Speaker 2: and pitches like he was pitching last year, he's gonna

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Speaker 2: get a chance, just like we saw with Hartwig and

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Speaker 2: like June last year and Holderman, and I think the

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Speaker 2: June the year before and Holderman did really well and

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Speaker 2: like traded, Heartwig was up and down. I like his ceiling.

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Speaker 2: I think it could be a good bullpen piece. But

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Speaker 2: Lavender's in that bucket for me this year super interesting

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Speaker 2: and it seems like a really fun loving, easygoing guy.

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Speaker 2: So he's probably the under the radar quote unquote prospect

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Speaker 2: who's been opening some eyes.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, he dropped that quote after his first appearance, where

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Speaker 3: if like, you're gonna throw a ninety one ninety two

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Speaker 3: and you're not gonna believe in it, you're probably gonna

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Speaker 3: get hit hard. If you're gonna throw with some grit determination,

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Speaker 3: you're going to get the guy out, which is like,

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Speaker 3: fuck yeah, I want to hear that. It does feel

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Speaker 3: like he is that. I also kind of put him

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Speaker 3: with Paul Gervais right now. I know he's a step

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Speaker 3: behind Lavender, but it's just like so weird lefty. It

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Speaker 3: doesn't really look super normal, but some way, somehow, it's

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Speaker 3: very very effective. Another guy who has been turning headspring

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Speaker 3: training would like you Frey mentioned Francisco Alvarez. It just

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Speaker 3: seems like a lot of things are clicking at once,

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Speaker 3: like the talent, the English, the defense, the offense, the leadership.

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Speaker 3: Everything sounds he kind of seems to be going in

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Speaker 3: the right direction for Francisco Alvarez. Give Mets fans a

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Speaker 3: pitch right now about why the big breakout, the step

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Speaker 3: is about to happen, and then one reason why maybe

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Speaker 3: it doesn't if you see something else that we're not saying.

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Speaker 2: I do think it's going to be a big season

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Speaker 2: and a big step forward for fan Cisco Alvarez, and

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Speaker 2: because last year he was twenty one years old and

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Speaker 2: got called up probably half a season or a full

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Speaker 2: season earlier than the Mets really wanted or expected. And

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Speaker 2: then he took over the starting catcher job and he

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Speaker 2: had a league average OPS and hit twenty five home

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Speaker 2: runs or whatever it was. And that for twenty one

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Speaker 2: year old who's catching and therefore not playing every every day.

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Speaker 2: That's just it's it's it's ridiculous stuff. And you think

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Speaker 2: about I was thinking about this in the context of

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Speaker 2: a you know, if they signed him to a contract

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Speaker 2: extension or if they didn't, he would be a free

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Speaker 2: agent now like twenty six or something, which is ridiculous

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Speaker 2: for a catcher. And the sky is the ceiling, which

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Speaker 2: is a cliche that probably gets thrown around too much,

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Speaker 2: But for Francisco Alvarez, potential franchise, corner cornerstone, it's it's

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Speaker 2: more true than usual when people say that. So all

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Speaker 2: aboard the Francisco Alvarez train, which I'm sure was already

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Speaker 2: very crowded.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I've I've heard a lot of great things too

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Speaker 1: about just like how he carries himself, like there's a

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Speaker 1: lot of pride in what he does. He works really hard.

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Speaker 1: Do you see him like, I guess it's weird because

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Speaker 1: he is so young, but it feels like he's a

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Speaker 1: guy who wants to be a leader eventually for this

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Speaker 1: team at some point, do you see him kind of

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Speaker 1: making those little strides yet it.

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Speaker 2: Might be a little too early for that because he's

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Speaker 2: still so so young. I think that comes naturally to

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Speaker 2: catchers just by virtue of their position on the field.

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Speaker 2: But I will say regarding the way that he carries himself,

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Speaker 2: he is he's so, so, so confident, but really not cocky,

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Speaker 2: which is such a hard line to straddle. The first

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Speaker 2: time I talked to Francisco Alvarez was in February of

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Speaker 2: twenty twenty two, during the lockout. So the Mets had

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Speaker 2: a prospect mini camp and a few of US reporters

418
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Speaker 2: came down to cover it because it was spring training

419
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Speaker 2: time and there was no spring training to cover. So, yeah,

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Speaker 2: let's go down to Florida for a few days and

421
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Speaker 2: the Mets will make these guys available for interviews. Blah

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Speaker 2: blah blah, and me and a couple of the couple

423
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Speaker 2: of the other beat writers were just standing around waiting

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Speaker 2: for guys to filter in. The job involves a lot

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Speaker 2: of standing around waiting for stuff to happen. And Alvarez

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Speaker 2: shows up and it's his first day, and you know,

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Speaker 2: he doesn't know any of us. He's like nineteen or

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Speaker 2: twenty years old at the time, but recognizes us existing

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Speaker 2: as reporters, drops off his bag and then comes out

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Speaker 2: of the minor league clubhouse with another Spanish speaker, and

431
00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:22,760
Speaker 2: the Mets plan for that prospect camp was for Alvarez

432
00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:25,040
Speaker 2: to do an interview at some time in the next

433
00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:28,560
Speaker 2: few days when their interpreter arrived in Port Saint Lucy.

434
00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,560
Speaker 2: But Alvarez nobody even asked. We didn't ask him, Mets

435
00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:33,679
Speaker 2: didn't ask him. He just walks out of the clubhouse

436
00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:36,600
Speaker 2: with somebody else who speaks Spanish and English and could

437
00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:40,640
Speaker 2: interpret for him and shakes all of our hands, says Alvarez.

438
00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:44,000
Speaker 2: Alvaus Alvarez, and I'm like, what is this guy's deal?

439
00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:47,960
Speaker 2: Does he think he's the greatest thing ever? And no,

440
00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:54,440
Speaker 2: like he's not, He's not. You know, sometimes big leaguers

441
00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:57,720
Speaker 2: or prospects, these hot shots are just full of themselves, right,

442
00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:01,800
Speaker 2: and Alvarez is confident, but like I said, not cocky.

443
00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:04,399
Speaker 2: And it was just a very genuine I'm just going

444
00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:06,560
Speaker 2: to go get an interpreter and do this interview right now,

445
00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:09,439
Speaker 2: and nobody's going to ask. And then his and then

446
00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:12,600
Speaker 2: we asked him that day, February twenty twenty two, what

447
00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:14,480
Speaker 2: is your goal for this season? And he said he

448
00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:16,240
Speaker 2: wants to make it to the majors and I'm like,

449
00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:18,639
Speaker 2: that's a great goal. Of course he's going to say that,

450
00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:21,600
Speaker 2: but that's not going to happen because he's twenty years

451
00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:24,040
Speaker 2: old and hasn't played above single A yet. And then

452
00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:27,199
Speaker 2: he did it that year. So I learned early to

453
00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:30,600
Speaker 2: stop doubting Francisco Alvarez and even if he like strikes

454
00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:32,600
Speaker 2: out too much like he did last year, I'm I

455
00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:34,879
Speaker 2: will I will give him the benefit of the doubt

456
00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:36,360
Speaker 2: that he will figure it out.

457
00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:38,359
Speaker 3: I mean, he does only have the words the Best

458
00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:42,120
Speaker 3: tattooed on his neck. So yeah, it's definitely very quiet confidence,

459
00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:44,520
Speaker 3: like you're saying. I remember. Yeah, the year before that,

460
00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:46,720
Speaker 3: when he was still in Brooklyn actually interviewed him. We

461
00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:48,159
Speaker 3: had just had a connection with the Cyclones. They're like,

462
00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:50,040
Speaker 3: you guys can talk to Cisco Alveras. We were like, yes,

463
00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:52,600
Speaker 3: we're gonna go talk for Cisco Alvarez. And yeah, similarly,

464
00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:54,480
Speaker 3: we didn't have we didn't have any translation help. I

465
00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:56,479
Speaker 3: don't think the Cyclones had one on staff either. So

466
00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:59,359
Speaker 3: we convinced one of our buddies to who also happens

467
00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:02,040
Speaker 3: to be ven as well, so the dialects matched, sick

468
00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:04,320
Speaker 3: day and come with us to Brooklyn. And translate for

469
00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:06,399
Speaker 3: Francisco Alvarez for us. And while we were setting up

470
00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:07,600
Speaker 3: and we didn't even know because we were like so

471
00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:10,280
Speaker 3: focused on our equipment whatnot, he comes up behind us.

472
00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:13,440
Speaker 3: Mark has a little microphone in his hand and he goes, Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello,

473
00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:14,760
Speaker 3: Who was that?

474
00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:15,760
Speaker 2: That's for Cisco Alvarez.

475
00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:17,119
Speaker 3: He's just like, yeah, he came up to do I

476
00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:18,520
Speaker 3: think he hits him on the ear like he was

477
00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:19,960
Speaker 3: just ready to have fun. I don't think he even

478
00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:21,800
Speaker 3: knew we were talking to him or who the hell

479
00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:23,920
Speaker 3: we are. He definitely never would of. It's just there's

480
00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:26,399
Speaker 3: this there's this vibe and this attitude to him that

481
00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:29,440
Speaker 3: I don't think that many players his age and even have.

482
00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:32,240
Speaker 2: Ever. He's a fun, loving guy and he's not afraid

483
00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:32,920
Speaker 2: of the spotlight.

484
00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:35,879
Speaker 1: There's been a little bit of talk of contract extensions

485
00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:38,800
Speaker 1: at spring training this year Pete Alonso. There was the

486
00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:41,720
Speaker 1: Francisco Alvarez rumor. I want to talk about Alvas versus

487
00:24:41,840 --> 00:24:44,639
Speaker 1: or Pete. When a rumor like that comes out and

488
00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:48,040
Speaker 1: obviously nothing has come to fruition, is it. Do the

489
00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:50,560
Speaker 1: players have like kind of not that that rumor's out.

490
00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:53,640
Speaker 1: Was there a feel around camp of like, is Alvarez

491
00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:55,679
Speaker 1: going to get extended? Were people worried about it or

492
00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:57,280
Speaker 1: was it just like if it happens, we'll all know.

493
00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:02,720
Speaker 2: That was a weird one because is you know that

494
00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:05,440
Speaker 2: rumor that tweet comes out, and of course I ask

495
00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:08,720
Speaker 2: around and and people on both sides, Alvarez side of

496
00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:14,000
Speaker 2: the Met side were see flabberg acid that that was

497
00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:16,879
Speaker 2: out there. And you know, people lie to me in

498
00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:19,040
Speaker 2: this job all the time, it's the nature of it.

499
00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:23,400
Speaker 2: But I actually believe them this time that it's not

500
00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:26,080
Speaker 2: really a thing right now. And what I gathered then

501
00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:31,240
Speaker 2: was that the sides expressed an intention to broach the

502
00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:35,520
Speaker 2: subject eventually, whether that's during camp or next off season

503
00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:38,560
Speaker 2: or next spring training, which makes sense, right because he's

504
00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:40,480
Speaker 2: a good young player, You're gonna at least talk about it.

505
00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:46,040
Speaker 2: So that was a weird one because I really really

506
00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:49,960
Speaker 2: don't think there's anything solid or serious as far as

507
00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:55,520
Speaker 2: an Alvarez extension goes, not yet anyway, So that was

508
00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:57,840
Speaker 2: that was a weird one. I really don't think it

509
00:25:57,880 --> 00:26:00,879
Speaker 2: was that buzzy of a thing in the clubhouse. At

510
00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:01,520
Speaker 2: least we.

511
00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:04,280
Speaker 3: Are doing Mets content as before the season, so we're

512
00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:08,520
Speaker 3: required by law to ask you about thee Alonzo contract situation. Yes,

513
00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:10,840
Speaker 3: but we're not gonna ask you the normal questions because

514
00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:13,439
Speaker 3: we can imagine like the frustration on your guys end

515
00:26:13,560 --> 00:26:15,639
Speaker 3: asking the same question every single day and never getting

516
00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:20,080
Speaker 3: an answer, whether it be Stearns, Alonso, Boris Mendoza, even

517
00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:22,919
Speaker 3: just other reporters. Is there is there a level of

518
00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:25,480
Speaker 3: almost like annoyance and frustration on your part that it's

519
00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:27,560
Speaker 3: kind of like it is part of your job you

520
00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:29,520
Speaker 3: have to ask this question. I guess in to a degree.

521
00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:32,119
Speaker 3: But is there ever like just a headbanging as a

522
00:26:32,119 --> 00:26:32,639
Speaker 3: wall moment.

523
00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:39,159
Speaker 2: Not really, It's I got a sense early last offseason

524
00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:41,520
Speaker 2: that it wasn't gonna happen. This thing is going to

525
00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:44,199
Speaker 2: free agency, and even going back years, it felt like

526
00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:47,520
Speaker 2: Pete was going to free agency, so I was never

527
00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:50,199
Speaker 2: really there was never really a high stress thing. I

528
00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:51,600
Speaker 2: have to stay on top of this, I have to

529
00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:53,600
Speaker 2: keep asking, I have to stay plugged in on it

530
00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:57,000
Speaker 2: because there was not going to be a resolution and

531
00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:00,760
Speaker 2: there's not going to be until next all season sometime.

532
00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:05,439
Speaker 2: That's my full expectation and has been. There is a

533
00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:07,880
Speaker 2: little bit of it does grow a little tiresome from

534
00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:12,359
Speaker 2: the perspective of I'm a reporter. I report the news

535
00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:17,520
Speaker 2: of the day, and whenever anybody involved in such a

536
00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:22,120
Speaker 2: negotiation or in this case, non negotiation says anything about it,

537
00:27:22,840 --> 00:27:25,920
Speaker 2: that's the news of the day. And according to my editors,

538
00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:30,240
Speaker 2: who are great, I need to write that story every time.

539
00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:32,679
Speaker 2: So I wrote it like the week before spring training

540
00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:36,120
Speaker 2: when Stern's went on foul territory, free agency is most

541
00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:38,840
Speaker 2: likely outcome or that's where it's head, whatever version of

542
00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:41,480
Speaker 2: it he said, And then Stern spoke the first day

543
00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:44,600
Speaker 2: of camp, and then Alonzo spoke when he showed up,

544
00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:47,920
Speaker 2: and then Steve Cohen said that thing. And it's like, Okay,

545
00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:51,880
Speaker 2: I've written this like four times already, and I'll probably

546
00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:53,600
Speaker 2: do it nowther the time or two before they had

547
00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:57,760
Speaker 2: a spring training So it does get a little boring,

548
00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:00,320
Speaker 2: and it probably does for fans too, because then there

549
00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:03,640
Speaker 2: are another round of stories that don't really say anything

550
00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:08,719
Speaker 2: new except somebody involved said something maybe a little different

551
00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:12,440
Speaker 2: about it this time, and what was the case is

552
00:28:12,480 --> 00:28:14,600
Speaker 2: still the case, and that's a little bit of an update,

553
00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:15,480
Speaker 2: I guess.

554
00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:17,840
Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean we feel the same way, where like

555
00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:20,520
Speaker 1: we hate talking about the Pedlodza contract, essential. We've had

556
00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:22,960
Speaker 1: like the conversation enough where we're like, you guys know

557
00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:24,960
Speaker 1: the drill. He's either going to take it or he's not.

558
00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:27,960
Speaker 1: Probably not gonna hit free agency. Let's move on one

559
00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:30,439
Speaker 1: thing that like legit though we don't really have that

560
00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:33,399
Speaker 1: much information on, is the whole code I Saga injury.

561
00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:35,159
Speaker 1: We know that he's gonna be shut down for a while.

562
00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:38,440
Speaker 1: He's probably gonna be out until mid May the earliest,

563
00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:41,320
Speaker 1: if everything goes right. What was the reaction from the

564
00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:44,800
Speaker 1: team and the players when Senga was officially shut down.

565
00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:50,920
Speaker 2: I think, I mean, it's a big blow, right It's

566
00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:54,320
Speaker 2: Sengo is the no doubt best picture in the rotation

567
00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:58,080
Speaker 2: on the team, the presumed opening day starter, and now

568
00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:01,680
Speaker 2: without them, without Saya, it's kind of like, all right,

569
00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:03,880
Speaker 2: I guess it was a Kintana will start opening day.

570
00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:06,600
Speaker 2: I guess he's the last man standing from last year.

571
00:29:07,440 --> 00:29:13,600
Speaker 2: There weren't any big additions, so sometimes there's a you know,

572
00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:17,960
Speaker 2: there's ah, we gotta there's two there's two approaches that

573
00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:20,800
Speaker 2: team can take right. One is we have to step

574
00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:24,760
Speaker 2: up collectively as a group or or the opposite back up.

575
00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:28,040
Speaker 2: Don't do or say anything, just continue to be yourself.

576
00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:30,560
Speaker 2: And I think in this case for the Mets, it

577
00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:37,120
Speaker 2: has to be the latter, because none of these guys, Severino, Manaia, Houser, Kentan,

578
00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:40,600
Speaker 2: none of these guys are aces. None of them can

579
00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:44,400
Speaker 2: force it or pretend it or even have that potential

580
00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:46,480
Speaker 2: to get to I think a best case scenario for

581
00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:49,640
Speaker 2: Severino is still something, is still something less than being

582
00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:52,880
Speaker 2: an ace, having an ACE like season, and then you

583
00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:55,400
Speaker 2: get to the to the level of the depth chart

584
00:29:55,480 --> 00:30:00,160
Speaker 2: that's mcgil, lukesy Bhutto. One of these guys is going

585
00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:05,120
Speaker 2: to open the year in the rotation. Okay, another round

586
00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:08,600
Speaker 2: for Tyler or McGill. You know, as I wrote recently,

587
00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:11,880
Speaker 2: the way I phrased it was the Mets are chasing

588
00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:16,200
Speaker 2: that April twenty twenty two high when McGill was the

589
00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:18,920
Speaker 2: best frickin thing going and it had like a one

590
00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:22,000
Speaker 2: point five era and five starts in April, and he

591
00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:26,800
Speaker 2: looked legit and then he hurt his shoulder. And so

592
00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:28,840
Speaker 2: it's like part of parts of three seasons and the

593
00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:31,160
Speaker 2: majors now for McGill and his eras and the high fours.

594
00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:36,760
Speaker 2: So maybe he'll put it together this time. But also

595
00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:38,360
Speaker 2: the track record so far as what.

596
00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:42,000
Speaker 3: It is, Is there anyone of that group Miguel Lukes Budo,

597
00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:44,000
Speaker 3: you think even early on, it's been very early. I

598
00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:45,880
Speaker 3: think one appearance each, and they actually look good in

599
00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:48,440
Speaker 3: their appearances. Has something of an upperhand for the fifth

600
00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:49,160
Speaker 3: rotation spot?

601
00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:49,440
Speaker 2: Is it?

602
00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:49,760
Speaker 1: Kind of?

603
00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:52,800
Speaker 3: From our perspective, feels like that spot in the rotation

604
00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:55,880
Speaker 3: in general is going to be more fluid than years past.

605
00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:57,719
Speaker 3: But is there going to be like if it's one

606
00:30:57,720 --> 00:31:00,280
Speaker 3: of those three guys, like a traditional fifth star coming

607
00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:00,760
Speaker 3: out of camp?

608
00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:05,240
Speaker 2: I think I consider McGill the guy right now, that

609
00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:07,920
Speaker 2: of course is subject to change. I don't know how

610
00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:11,600
Speaker 2: much in game results really would influence the Mets at

611
00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:15,920
Speaker 2: this point because they want McGill to happen, so it

612
00:31:16,480 --> 00:31:18,520
Speaker 2: really just feels like he's going to get another chance.

613
00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:23,640
Speaker 2: What becomes interesting to me is if another starter goes down,

614
00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:26,440
Speaker 2: or if and when they want to mix in that

615
00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:28,880
Speaker 2: sixth starter, like in April they play thirteen days in

616
00:31:28,880 --> 00:31:31,200
Speaker 2: a row, they'll probably mix somebody in and give everybody

617
00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:34,680
Speaker 2: an extra day at rest? Is it Lukezy, is it Budo?

618
00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:37,640
Speaker 2: They probably at that point don't go to any of

619
00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:42,800
Speaker 2: the Scott vassal tier. So it's we're getting to the

620
00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:46,600
Speaker 2: deep cuts now in the depth chart. So it's interesting

621
00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:49,440
Speaker 2: to me, not probably not so interesting to the masses,

622
00:31:49,520 --> 00:31:53,120
Speaker 2: but you know, that's where things stand with the rotation depth.

623
00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:55,640
Speaker 3: Yeah, and deep cuts. Also we're talking about pitching depth,

624
00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:57,560
Speaker 3: probably something and not many people care about, but I

625
00:31:57,560 --> 00:31:59,719
Speaker 3: know we definitely do the bullpen. Everyone loves a bullpen.

626
00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:02,160
Speaker 3: Have so many new relievers in his bullpend this year.

627
00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:05,360
Speaker 3: Anyone's standing out so far, anyone the team is extra

628
00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:07,880
Speaker 3: high on, maybe more so, and anyone that again you

629
00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:10,120
Speaker 3: mentioned Nate Lavender, anyone with like some kind of like

630
00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:11,920
Speaker 3: secret buzz that could make an impact.

631
00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:19,480
Speaker 2: I think the Mets are tantalized by Jorge Lopez because

632
00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:22,360
Speaker 2: this is a guy who for that one year pretty

633
00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:25,640
Speaker 2: much was electric and was as good as it gets.

634
00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:29,480
Speaker 2: And before that and since then he's been not good.

635
00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:31,920
Speaker 2: He was on a bunch of teams last year and

636
00:32:31,960 --> 00:32:34,120
Speaker 2: not good for any of them. Actually got worse when

637
00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:38,160
Speaker 2: he kept changing teams. But if they can harness that

638
00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:40,440
Speaker 2: again and get him back to there. He throws hard,

639
00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:44,800
Speaker 2: good movement, tall guy like you like the look of it.

640
00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:49,160
Speaker 2: If he can emerge or re emerge as a legitimate

641
00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:54,160
Speaker 2: late inning guy, and you add him to diez Ottavio Rali,

642
00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:58,760
Speaker 2: then you're cooking in the late innings. But there are

643
00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:01,720
Speaker 2: a lot of guys who fall into that category. If

644
00:33:01,720 --> 00:33:03,760
Speaker 2: the Mets are going to be good this year, they

645
00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:07,840
Speaker 2: need a couple of pleasant surprises. And the David Sterns

646
00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:14,160
Speaker 2: Brewers teams were excellent, excellent at finding or grabbing random

647
00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:18,360
Speaker 2: relievers and making them useful. And I think actually the

648
00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:22,600
Speaker 2: post Sterns Brewers just did that with Trevor McGill, Tyler's brother,

649
00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:26,480
Speaker 2: who's probably gonna, you know, be there. He's going to

650
00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:30,680
Speaker 2: have a good year probably. So that's basically what the

651
00:33:30,720 --> 00:33:34,280
Speaker 2: Mets are doing now. They have say a dozen guys

652
00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:37,400
Speaker 2: who historically have not been very good. They have one

653
00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:41,920
Speaker 2: or two interesting characteristics or pitches, and if one or

654
00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:43,880
Speaker 2: two of those guys work out out of a dozen,

655
00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:45,120
Speaker 2: that's a win.

656
00:33:45,920 --> 00:33:46,920
Speaker 1: How about the guy at the end of the game,

657
00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:50,000
Speaker 1: sow's Edwin Diaz looking back on the mound. Healthy, how's

658
00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:50,360
Speaker 1: he doing?

659
00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:53,000
Speaker 2: He's looking good. He actually had a big day the

660
00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:57,000
Speaker 2: other day because he fielded bunts and covered first base

661
00:33:57,080 --> 00:34:00,840
Speaker 2: for the first time since blowing out is knee. So

662
00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:04,280
Speaker 2: that again is a boring spring training thing, but in

663
00:34:04,320 --> 00:34:08,000
Speaker 2: the context of him and his injury is huge because

664
00:34:08,080 --> 00:34:10,719
Speaker 2: they can't put him in a game, and they did

665
00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:14,399
Speaker 2: not put him in a game last September because they

666
00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:18,120
Speaker 2: could not be sure he could feel his position. Now

667
00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:20,680
Speaker 2: they're a little more sure. He's got some other steps.

668
00:34:20,719 --> 00:34:23,000
Speaker 2: He's gonna pitch in a minor league game on the backfields,

669
00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:25,759
Speaker 2: but he'll probably be in a grapefruit game in the

670
00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:27,840
Speaker 2: next week week and a half. I would think that's incredible.

671
00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:30,160
Speaker 3: I think the Mets are approaching five hundred days since

672
00:34:30,239 --> 00:34:33,080
Speaker 3: one hundred mile an hour pitch was thrown at any

673
00:34:33,160 --> 00:34:35,120
Speaker 3: level anyone in the organization. So it's gonna be really

674
00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:38,080
Speaker 3: cool maybe next week to see Edmund has do that finally.

675
00:34:38,239 --> 00:34:40,600
Speaker 3: But ye some other silly spring training stuff. I think

676
00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:43,160
Speaker 3: we're off the field stuff now, But we were there

677
00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:44,919
Speaker 3: last year Ported Lucy, if I think it was three

678
00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:49,200
Speaker 3: very long days and that place is desolate. What in

679
00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:51,160
Speaker 3: the world do you do with yourself for six weeks

680
00:34:51,200 --> 00:34:52,560
Speaker 3: of Port Saint Lucy every single year.

681
00:34:52,920 --> 00:34:57,200
Speaker 2: So that's a great question. And as somebody who is

682
00:34:57,239 --> 00:35:00,600
Speaker 2: on a baseball schedule, which means staying up late after games,

683
00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:03,840
Speaker 2: and then not waking up early because I don't have kids.

684
00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:07,839
Speaker 2: It's definitely a transition to a spring training schedule when

685
00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:11,520
Speaker 2: I have to be at work by eight am. In

686
00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:15,560
Speaker 2: the off season, I am not awake for hours after

687
00:35:15,719 --> 00:35:18,719
Speaker 2: I'm supposed to be at work now, So it's it's

688
00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:22,040
Speaker 2: it's definitely a transition, which means, yes, going to bed earlier.

689
00:35:23,040 --> 00:35:25,560
Speaker 2: So unfortunately, I'm beginning to answer your question of what

690
00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:27,840
Speaker 2: to do in Port Saint Lucy with going to bed early,

691
00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:31,160
Speaker 2: which is I guess I suppose speaks to it. But

692
00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:33,919
Speaker 2: what what to do in Saint Lucy. There's a movie theater,

693
00:35:34,719 --> 00:35:37,759
Speaker 2: there's a there's a mini golf place. We've been there.

694
00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:39,680
Speaker 1: It's been a lot of Mets players go to that.

695
00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:41,000
Speaker 2: Uh, that minigolf place.

696
00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:43,400
Speaker 1: We saw David Robertson last year carrying around his like

697
00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:46,040
Speaker 1: his his baby child like in a little bit pack

698
00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:48,919
Speaker 1: while playing minigolf with the family. And Mark Canna also

699
00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:50,879
Speaker 1: said that was like the best burger in Port Saint Lucy.

700
00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:53,239
Speaker 2: I met there, would not have guessed that. What what

701
00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:58,960
Speaker 2: when's the pod coming out? This episode? Okay, then I

702
00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:01,560
Speaker 2: can tell you that to night, Wednesday night, the Mets

703
00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:05,920
Speaker 2: are having a team bonding thing at popstroke. That that

704
00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:08,480
Speaker 2: that that mini golf play, so the whole squad will

705
00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:11,719
Speaker 2: be there. Uh, they were chattering about it on the

706
00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:15,040
Speaker 2: way out today or organized I should note by the

707
00:36:15,120 --> 00:36:17,800
Speaker 2: nemos Brandon and Chelsea who sort of took up the

708
00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:20,440
Speaker 2: torch after Mark Max Schurzer had done something similar in

709
00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:23,720
Speaker 2: previous years. So mini golfs the thing in Saint Lucie.

710
00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:26,719
Speaker 2: Golfing more generally is the thing in Saint Lucie. I

711
00:36:26,760 --> 00:36:29,560
Speaker 2: will say, Uh, what moved the needle a couple of

712
00:36:29,640 --> 00:36:32,359
Speaker 2: years ago on the culinary scene was when they opened

713
00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:33,600
Speaker 2: a Texas roadhouse.

714
00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:38,120
Speaker 1: That's that's what.

715
00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:40,960
Speaker 2: We're The roles in the button there are amazing and

716
00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:43,399
Speaker 2: that's that's the standard we're setting in Fort Saint Lucy.

717
00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:48,080
Speaker 1: All Right, Tim, I gotta ask you yes because and

718
00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:50,120
Speaker 1: I'm sure you've been asked a million times, but uh,

719
00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:51,600
Speaker 1: if you if you had to pick someone who would

720
00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:56,640
Speaker 1: win to fight Mickey Callaway or Jason Vargas, no comment,

721
00:36:58,760 --> 00:37:02,200
Speaker 1: what a serious question, like how did you feel during

722
00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:05,480
Speaker 1: that situation? Because like that's got to be crazy to

723
00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:07,120
Speaker 1: like have like a player and a coach want to

724
00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:07,520
Speaker 1: come at.

725
00:37:07,480 --> 00:37:09,600
Speaker 2: Yet it was it was really weird, and it was.

726
00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:12,200
Speaker 2: It was. It was frustrating to extent too, because I'm

727
00:37:12,239 --> 00:37:15,080
Speaker 2: a journalist and you learn in journalism school don't become

728
00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:21,120
Speaker 2: the story, and unfortunately that day I did. I will

729
00:37:21,160 --> 00:37:25,840
Speaker 2: say that I'm i'm it blew it. What happened afterward

730
00:37:26,040 --> 00:37:28,520
Speaker 2: is pretty much what I expected. That it was a

731
00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:31,200
Speaker 2: thing for a couple of days and then it pretty

732
00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:34,400
Speaker 2: much blew over. And that is what people who had

733
00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:37,560
Speaker 2: been in similar situations told me at the time. And

734
00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:40,759
Speaker 2: when they told me that, I thought, okay, I hope so,

735
00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:43,560
Speaker 2: and then they were pretty much right like and I

736
00:37:43,600 --> 00:37:48,680
Speaker 2: actually heard some great stories about about various players and

737
00:37:48,760 --> 00:37:52,680
Speaker 2: various reporters who'd had such run ins, but before the

738
00:37:52,760 --> 00:37:55,160
Speaker 2: Internet or before social media is what it is, and

739
00:37:55,239 --> 00:38:00,880
Speaker 2: it was like stuff that never really became public. Uh,

740
00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:03,319
Speaker 2: but of course in this case did be turned into

741
00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:08,680
Speaker 2: a whole thing. You know, occasionally reporters and the people

742
00:38:08,760 --> 00:38:13,480
Speaker 2: they cover there are frustrations, especially when the team is

743
00:38:13,719 --> 00:38:17,920
Speaker 2: doing poorly. And what I've told various people, you know,

744
00:38:18,120 --> 00:38:23,040
Speaker 2: pr people, athletes, whomever, that if somebody doesn't like a

745
00:38:23,120 --> 00:38:24,600
Speaker 2: question that I ask or a story that I write,

746
00:38:24,600 --> 00:38:26,400
Speaker 2: I'm always happy to talk it out. You know, I'm

747
00:38:26,480 --> 00:38:30,560
Speaker 2: very comfortable with my level of professionalism and my thought

748
00:38:30,640 --> 00:38:34,880
Speaker 2: process behind a story or a question or whatever. So uh,

749
00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:39,120
Speaker 2: you know, sometimes unfortunately things boil over and then they

750
00:38:39,120 --> 00:38:42,120
Speaker 2: blow over. So and then and then uh and then

751
00:38:42,160 --> 00:38:42,759
Speaker 2: life goes on.

752
00:38:44,160 --> 00:38:46,359
Speaker 3: We know it blew over, But what was the vibe

753
00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:49,520
Speaker 3: like at the next press conference, at the next media availability?

754
00:38:49,520 --> 00:38:52,680
Speaker 2: How long did it take the blowover? It was? It

755
00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:55,120
Speaker 2: was weird because that whole next day in Philly, like

756
00:38:56,960 --> 00:38:59,640
Speaker 2: Mickey did A, had to do a double press conference,

757
00:38:59,719 --> 00:39:04,840
Speaker 2: like came back for a second one, and fortunately Newsday

758
00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:10,000
Speaker 2: sent an additional reporter to basically cover that story. And

759
00:39:10,920 --> 00:39:12,399
Speaker 2: all I had to do that day was right about

760
00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:17,640
Speaker 2: the game. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I will say afterward.

761
00:39:18,440 --> 00:39:20,520
Speaker 2: It was either that night after the game or the

762
00:39:20,560 --> 00:39:25,000
Speaker 2: next night, Brody had a postgame media availability about I

763
00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:28,480
Speaker 2: don't even remember what, and I didn't ask any questions

764
00:39:28,880 --> 00:39:32,160
Speaker 2: for no particular reason other than I'm not sure I

765
00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:34,960
Speaker 2: had any of that particular occasion. But it came up

766
00:39:34,960 --> 00:39:36,400
Speaker 2: to me after and was like, hey, like, are you

767
00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:38,279
Speaker 2: all right? You didn't ask him any questions. I just

768
00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:40,280
Speaker 2: want to make sure like you're getting in there if

769
00:39:40,320 --> 00:39:43,920
Speaker 2: you want anything, and I really appreciated that from him.

770
00:39:43,920 --> 00:39:45,719
Speaker 2: It was really really nice of him to say that

771
00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:49,640
Speaker 2: and go out of his way afterward, and I told him, Yeah,

772
00:39:49,960 --> 00:39:53,600
Speaker 2: don't worry, I'm coming with questions. When I have questions, it's.

773
00:39:53,480 --> 00:39:56,120
Speaker 1: Really Is that the craziest thing that's ever happened to

774
00:39:56,160 --> 00:39:57,600
Speaker 1: you as a journalist?

775
00:39:57,960 --> 00:40:01,560
Speaker 2: Uh? I have to say yes, at least in like

776
00:40:01,640 --> 00:40:04,400
Speaker 2: a negative way, because there's been some crazy cool things

777
00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:08,120
Speaker 2: to have happened too, because my job is awesome and

778
00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:11,480
Speaker 2: I love my job. But yeah, that's the craziest thing

779
00:40:11,480 --> 00:40:13,240
Speaker 2: on the on the bad side, and hopefully it stays

780
00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:13,840
Speaker 2: that way forever.

781
00:40:15,440 --> 00:40:17,239
Speaker 3: Two questions that we do like to ask, like any

782
00:40:17,360 --> 00:40:19,839
Speaker 3: journalists report of This's announcers that come on. You did

783
00:40:19,920 --> 00:40:21,480
Speaker 3: just mentioned cool things. We being say any of them,

784
00:40:21,520 --> 00:40:22,960
Speaker 3: so you got to sell tell us the coolest things

785
00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:25,960
Speaker 3: ever happened to you on the job. And two, what's

786
00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:28,560
Speaker 3: the weirdest job you've ever had covering sports or just

787
00:40:28,840 --> 00:40:31,000
Speaker 3: making sure you're able to cover sports.

788
00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:32,399
Speaker 2: The weirdest What was the second one?

789
00:40:32,719 --> 00:40:34,239
Speaker 3: The weirdest job you ever had in your way?

790
00:40:34,320 --> 00:40:34,520
Speaker 1: Up?

791
00:40:35,239 --> 00:40:37,319
Speaker 2: Oh, okay, so the coolest thing to happened to me

792
00:40:37,600 --> 00:40:42,440
Speaker 2: probably was when Max Sures are agreed to watch a

793
00:40:42,480 --> 00:40:44,920
Speaker 2: game with me. I had pitched him on it when

794
00:40:44,920 --> 00:40:47,399
Speaker 2: he was suspended. I said, let's watch a game together.

795
00:40:47,440 --> 00:40:49,239
Speaker 2: I'll write about it through the eyes of Max Sures

796
00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:51,560
Speaker 2: or a game whatever. And he was iffy on it

797
00:40:51,960 --> 00:40:54,640
Speaker 2: and it sounds like maybe, so I said, I'll come

798
00:40:54,680 --> 00:40:56,279
Speaker 2: back in a couple of days and ask you you

799
00:40:56,280 --> 00:40:58,640
Speaker 2: think about it. And then it was a Sunday in

800
00:40:58,640 --> 00:41:01,040
Speaker 2: San Francisco and he said, hey, let's do it. And

801
00:41:01,080 --> 00:41:02,560
Speaker 2: I was like, not ready to do it at that,

802
00:41:03,960 --> 00:41:05,680
Speaker 2: but it was it was now or never, so I

803
00:41:05,680 --> 00:41:08,080
Speaker 2: said it's now, and we watched a game together and

804
00:41:08,120 --> 00:41:09,680
Speaker 2: that was really cool because you never get to watch

805
00:41:09,719 --> 00:41:12,640
Speaker 2: a game with an athlete, never mind a live, regular season,

806
00:41:12,760 --> 00:41:15,359
Speaker 2: real game that counts with a Hall of Famer. So

807
00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:17,719
Speaker 2: that was that was awesome. That was a really great experience.

808
00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:20,960
Speaker 2: And then the craziest job I had on my way

809
00:41:21,040 --> 00:41:25,920
Speaker 2: up or the weirdest job. It wasn't a crazy job,

810
00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:29,479
Speaker 2: but the craziest thing I did was up and move

811
00:41:29,640 --> 00:41:32,919
Speaker 2: to Florida, a state to which I had never been,

812
00:41:34,280 --> 00:41:38,879
Speaker 2: for a job, which was my friends still joke about

813
00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:40,720
Speaker 2: that time I told them I was moving to Miami

814
00:41:40,800 --> 00:41:43,200
Speaker 2: because they thought I was absolutely joking, because I am

815
00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:46,719
Speaker 2: not a Miami person in any way, but I was.

816
00:41:46,760 --> 00:41:49,880
Speaker 2: I was living in Boston after college and doing the

817
00:41:49,920 --> 00:41:52,560
Speaker 2: freelance thing, piecing it together with a few outlets, right like,

818
00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:56,400
Speaker 2: making okay money, but would really rather have health insurance.

819
00:41:58,440 --> 00:42:01,680
Speaker 2: And then the Sun Sentinel, which is based right outside Miami,

820
00:42:02,160 --> 00:42:06,319
Speaker 2: had in Marlin's opening and they hired me. And, like

821
00:42:06,360 --> 00:42:08,920
Speaker 2: I said, I'd never been to Florida before the job interviews,

822
00:42:08,920 --> 00:42:11,319
Speaker 2: so I come down here on our palm trees and

823
00:42:11,400 --> 00:42:14,560
Speaker 2: lizards walking around on the sidewalk, which was crazy to

824
00:42:14,600 --> 00:42:17,840
Speaker 2: me now I'm used to it, but seeing it for

825
00:42:17,880 --> 00:42:20,279
Speaker 2: the first time, I straight up asked one of the

826
00:42:20,320 --> 00:42:22,600
Speaker 2: editors if that was normal, and they laughed at me,

827
00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:25,279
Speaker 2: but they still hired me, so that was good. So

828
00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:28,760
Speaker 2: I don't know how many weird jobs I've had in journalism.

829
00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:30,839
Speaker 1: But maybe like the weirdest, like team or sport you've

830
00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:31,600
Speaker 1: had to cover.

831
00:42:33,040 --> 00:42:35,799
Speaker 2: You know, One summer when I was interning at my

832
00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:42,759
Speaker 2: local paper in Danbury, Connecticut, the News Times, I was

833
00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:45,520
Speaker 2: interning and covering a variety of random things, and one

834
00:42:45,560 --> 00:42:51,560
Speaker 2: of the things was, like you ten travel baseball nice

835
00:42:52,760 --> 00:42:55,319
Speaker 2: And it was just like when a regional team was

836
00:42:55,560 --> 00:42:58,160
Speaker 2: advancing pretty far, like they assigned me to cover the games,

837
00:42:58,200 --> 00:43:00,680
Speaker 2: and I thought, these kids are straight up kids. Wait

838
00:43:00,719 --> 00:43:05,360
Speaker 2: you you how am I supposed to write this game?

839
00:43:06,760 --> 00:43:10,400
Speaker 2: And I just remember, you know, they're ten years old.

840
00:43:10,440 --> 00:43:12,239
Speaker 2: They're not that even when they're the best, they're not

841
00:43:12,280 --> 00:43:16,560
Speaker 2: that good. And I I just remember an awkward kids

842
00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:21,080
Speaker 2: sort of falling over and making a catch in right

843
00:43:21,160 --> 00:43:23,160
Speaker 2: field and a big moment, and he was like not

844
00:43:23,440 --> 00:43:25,960
Speaker 2: very good. But and I and I wrote it like

845
00:43:26,040 --> 00:43:30,439
Speaker 2: it was the major leagues, just like doing it up,

846
00:43:30,719 --> 00:43:33,200
Speaker 2: not lying. I didn't exaggerate any I didn't I didn't

847
00:43:33,200 --> 00:43:34,839
Speaker 2: make up any details about it. But it was a

848
00:43:34,880 --> 00:43:38,239
Speaker 2: big moment, and just I was covering a game, and

849
00:43:38,280 --> 00:43:40,399
Speaker 2: even though they were really young kids, I just wrote

850
00:43:40,440 --> 00:43:43,480
Speaker 2: it like I was covering a game. And you know,

851
00:43:43,560 --> 00:43:47,600
Speaker 2: I like to think that no matter what sport or

852
00:43:47,640 --> 00:43:51,200
Speaker 2: what level you're covering, somebody's going to be reading it,

853
00:43:51,280 --> 00:43:54,040
Speaker 2: even if it's the kids in ten years when they're

854
00:43:54,080 --> 00:43:56,120
Speaker 2: looking at the clips or the parents the next morning

855
00:43:56,360 --> 00:43:59,600
Speaker 2: in the paper. And you want to treat that sport

856
00:43:59,640 --> 00:44:02,480
Speaker 2: in that level the same way you want to treat

857
00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:05,560
Speaker 2: a major League game or the World Series or whatever.

858
00:44:06,400 --> 00:44:08,600
Speaker 2: So that's the way I approached that. It was it

859
00:44:08,600 --> 00:44:10,520
Speaker 2: was a weird assignment, but that's the way I approached it.

860
00:44:10,760 --> 00:44:14,000
Speaker 1: Yeahs as someone whose dad has cut out every single

861
00:44:14,040 --> 00:44:16,480
Speaker 1: time his name has ever been in the paper, eight

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00:44:16,600 --> 00:44:19,799
Speaker 1: year old baseball till you know, graduate high school. Those

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00:44:19,840 --> 00:44:22,399
Speaker 1: people definitely appreciated, probably how you wrote up that cash

864
00:44:22,480 --> 00:44:24,360
Speaker 1: that you just described as maybe a little clumsy, but

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00:44:24,880 --> 00:44:26,799
Speaker 1: wrote it like it was the greatest play of all time.

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00:44:27,239 --> 00:44:30,120
Speaker 1: But Tim, thank you so much for coming on. We

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00:44:30,160 --> 00:44:32,120
Speaker 1: definitely want to have you on again during the season

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00:44:32,160 --> 00:44:34,239
Speaker 1: because boots on the ground, Boots on the ground, we

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Speaker 1: love to hear what insight you have for us with

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00:44:36,320 --> 00:44:39,200
Speaker 1: the Mets and everything going on there. Let everybody know

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00:44:39,239 --> 00:44:41,120
Speaker 1: where they can follow you what you got going on,

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00:44:41,200 --> 00:44:42,440
Speaker 1: and then we'll wrap it up here.

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00:44:42,760 --> 00:44:45,880
Speaker 2: Two places. The first one is newsday dot com slash

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00:44:46,080 --> 00:44:48,719
Speaker 2: Mets because news Day pays me, so shout out to

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00:44:48,760 --> 00:44:52,560
Speaker 2: them subscribe it's very inexpensive. And then on Twitter, I'm

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00:44:52,600 --> 00:44:55,319
Speaker 2: at Tim B Hughley, h E. A. L. E. Y

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00:44:56,040 --> 00:44:58,439
Speaker 2: and I like to see people on there. So those

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00:44:58,440 --> 00:44:59,320
Speaker 2: are the two places.

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00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:02,000
Speaker 1: Awesome, Tim, thank you so much again for coming on.

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00:45:02,200 --> 00:45:04,080
Speaker 1: Thank you guys for listening and watching, and we'll catch

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00:45:04,120 --> 00:45:04,880
Speaker 1: you on the next episode.

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Speaker 2: The mets of the podcast peace Out, peace Out Guys,