WEBVTT - Episode 388 - Bench Bantr ft. Jacob Gonzalez

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<v Speaker 1>Joining us now on Bucco Banter is newly acquired Piri

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<v Speaker 1>infielder Jacob Gonzalez.

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<v Speaker 2>Jacob, welcome to the show Man.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you.

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<v Speaker 1>What's it been like so far adjusting to a new team.

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<v Speaker 3>It's been kind of crazy because show up in the

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<v Speaker 3>middle of a doubleheader, meet the guys in the in

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<v Speaker 3>the win line, giving high fives, right, and then just

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<v Speaker 3>playing two games.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean I didn't.

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<v Speaker 3>I only got into the second game, but then going

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<v Speaker 3>on break, so then I trying to remember everyone's name

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<v Speaker 3>while I'm gone for three days, four days, and then

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<v Speaker 3>coming back and now we're in it again and excited

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<v Speaker 3>to play.

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<v Speaker 5>Jacob, let's take it back to college twenty twenty two

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<v Speaker 5>College World Series. That was awesome getting to experience that.

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<v Speaker 5>How did coach Bianco and ole miss prepare you for

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<v Speaker 5>pro ball?

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah?

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<v Speaker 3>I mean they What really prepared me for pro ball

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<v Speaker 3>was not knowing anything until the night before. I didn't.

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<v Speaker 3>I thought it was bad in college until I got

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<v Speaker 3>into pro ball.

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<v Speaker 4>You really don't know anything when you're.

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<v Speaker 3>Here until right before. But it was good, like he

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<v Speaker 3>prepared us, like practices, games like I mean, I definitely

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<v Speaker 3>felt more prepared coming from college than I did coming

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<v Speaker 3>out of high.

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<v Speaker 2>School any trash hocke yet with mangum uh.

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<v Speaker 3>He said, he said, he forgives me.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, Yeah, well what's it?

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<v Speaker 1>What was the journey, like, I mean from getting drafted

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<v Speaker 1>to debuting this year, talk about the adjustments that you

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<v Speaker 1>had to make and what you've learned overall in your

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<v Speaker 1>pro ball journey so far.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah. So my first two four years pro ball, I

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<v Speaker 3>wasn't the best. I put in like below average seasons,

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<v Speaker 3>but I was the whole time. I was trying to

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<v Speaker 3>figure out like I set up in my swing and

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<v Speaker 3>like lining my body up is coming out of college.

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<v Speaker 3>I was when I wouldstride outstride and then my hips

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<v Speaker 3>would go towards the space dug out before I started swinging.

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<v Speaker 3>So I was losing space and I was disconnected. So

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<v Speaker 3>for two years I was trying to figure it out.

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<v Speaker 3>And the last week of the season in twenty five

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<v Speaker 3>so last year, I my dad had been telling me

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<v Speaker 3>to start trying to stride closed.

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<v Speaker 4>Maybe it'll line me up. And I was like, I.

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<v Speaker 3>Can't strike close, like I'm going to strike towards the ball,

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<v Speaker 3>Like that's not normal. And he showed me videos with

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<v Speaker 3>like Alec Thomas and Corbett Carrol and he had been

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<v Speaker 3>telling me to do this like since the beginning of

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<v Speaker 3>the year. Last week of the season, I was like.

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<v Speaker 4>Fine, I'll try it. Like I'm already not doing.

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<v Speaker 3>The best, might as well try something. And it was

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<v Speaker 3>like a light bulb moment for us. And so once

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<v Speaker 3>I started closed, my hips like were almost like were

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<v Speaker 3>better than it's ever been without doing anything other than

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<v Speaker 3>stepping just barely closed, and my hips were able to

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<v Speaker 3>turn correctly. So they really made the off season more free.

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<v Speaker 3>Rather than trying to figure something out, we had it

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<v Speaker 3>like kind of figured out, and then we were just

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<v Speaker 3>I was able to just work on other things. So

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<v Speaker 3>and then coming into the off season are coming into

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<v Speaker 3>screen training and getting with the White Sauce guys and

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<v Speaker 3>having the conversation of like what I want they want,

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<v Speaker 3>mixing them and getting to where we're at now.

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<v Speaker 5>Going back to the day of the trade, you you

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<v Speaker 5>got taken out of a triple A game in Charlotte.

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<v Speaker 5>I actually called him at the moment I saw on Twitter.

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<v Speaker 5>I was like, I think we're gonna get Jacob Gonzalez

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<v Speaker 5>because the talk about trigging that thirty fourth pick was

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<v Speaker 5>ramping up, especially the day before the draft. But talk

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<v Speaker 5>about the emotions hearing that you got traded. What was

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<v Speaker 5>going through the mind at that time.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I mean it was a crazy day. I got

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<v Speaker 3>options the day before and I had asked to get

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<v Speaker 3>back to playing over the weekend before the break and

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<v Speaker 3>triple A so flew back. Then I landed at midnight,

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<v Speaker 3>woke up, did a normal day, started getting ready for

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<v Speaker 3>the game, played three two and a half innings, and

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<v Speaker 3>get pulled and they pointed at me and I had

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<v Speaker 3>to like, turn around, make sure he's playing that.

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<v Speaker 2>Guy behind you, Like are you sure?

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<v Speaker 3>So then I ran off, thinking someone got hurt, because

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<v Speaker 3>that's the only way you can go back up. I

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<v Speaker 3>didn't even think trade. And I get in the locker

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<v Speaker 3>room and our and our trainers like, hey, just stay

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<v Speaker 3>by your phone. I'm like, oh, so something's happening, not

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<v Speaker 3>someone didn't get hurt. I mean, it was pretty crazy.

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<v Speaker 3>I sat in the locker room for like two and

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<v Speaker 3>a half hours before I got told I was traded,

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<v Speaker 3>So just wondering, Yeah, just sitting there talking in the details, Yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>just watching our game, watching the White Sox game, and

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<v Speaker 3>just talking with whoever was passing through the clubhouse and

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<v Speaker 3>then I got told and it was cool. It's cool.

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<v Speaker 3>It's a cool feeling to be like feel be wondered

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<v Speaker 3>that guys, so, and I was just excited once I

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<v Speaker 3>found out.

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<v Speaker 1>What's been the initial conversations with either Ben Charing, Dane

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<v Speaker 1>or Donny Kelly anyone on the staff about your role

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<v Speaker 1>that you're playing with the Pirates.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I mean, I think any into the spot, I

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<v Speaker 3>could play for.

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<v Speaker 4>Anyone the break.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm not really sure on the roll, but I'm just

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<v Speaker 3>here to try to help us win.

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<v Speaker 5>Speaking of that, I mean you spent time all over

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<v Speaker 5>the infielder zero space that you feel most comfortable.

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<v Speaker 3>At, Yeah, for sure, shortstop and then the middle. But

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<v Speaker 3>I mean I got to play thirty some games at

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<v Speaker 3>first base this year, so I mean I would say

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<v Speaker 3>all four are pretty good.

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<v Speaker 1>Going back to your swing in the approach, what are

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<v Speaker 1>you looking for on a day to day basis? Are

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<v Speaker 1>you going into analytics and game tape on opposing pictures?

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<v Speaker 1>Is it more of a feel thing for you?

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<v Speaker 3>Walk us through that, like are you saying my swing

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<v Speaker 3>or like like your approach? Oh? Yeah, I mean I

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<v Speaker 3>do my routine to just get to feel what I

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<v Speaker 3>want to feel. And then in the game, I don't

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<v Speaker 3>think about anything other than like, all right, it's mostly

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<v Speaker 3>beyond time for the fastball and just compete up there?

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<v Speaker 1>Does the stride itself, like when you're closed off, allow

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<v Speaker 1>you to stay through the zone a little bit longer

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<v Speaker 1>and create more space?

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah?

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<v Speaker 3>So how the best example is when I strike close

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<v Speaker 3>my hips turned correctly. When I was striking.

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<v Speaker 4>Normal, I would go this, my butt would.

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<v Speaker 3>Come this way, and then I would turn, so I'd

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<v Speaker 3>be losing connection. So like instead of being here, i'd

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<v Speaker 3>be here, so I lose connection. So I don't know,

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<v Speaker 3>just worked and I have been stopped.

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<v Speaker 5>Since every prospecting young player faces adversity at some point

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<v Speaker 5>in your career, you talked about facing it earlier on

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<v Speaker 5>how important is the mental side of the game to you?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I mean the bet the The thing for me

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<v Speaker 3>with the two years of struggling was like I would

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<v Speaker 3>show flashes of doing like like good while not doing good,

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<v Speaker 3>like I never felt good in the like I felt

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<v Speaker 3>good in the box, but like I never felt like

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<v Speaker 3>this was it but like so, and then I would

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<v Speaker 3>should like do good with it. Then it would stop

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<v Speaker 3>doing good, and so I mean, I just look at

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<v Speaker 3>it like, if those are my bad years, then it's

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<v Speaker 3>probably a good thing because it like it's some people's

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<v Speaker 3>like good years.

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<v Speaker 1>And so what are What's some stuff that pirates fans

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<v Speaker 1>can learn about you? Any hobbies off the field, stuff

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<v Speaker 1>you do on your off days.

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<v Speaker 3>Hang out with my wife, play video games?

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<v Speaker 2>What are you playing?

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<v Speaker 3>College football? Okay?

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah?

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<v Speaker 2>Who are you running with? Just little alma mater?

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<v Speaker 3>Oh no, that's too easy. I'll go right now. In

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<v Speaker 3>college football twenty seven? I got Eastern Michigan rebuild.

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<v Speaker 5>Oh are you the coach?

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<v Speaker 3>Yes?

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<v Speaker 5>Okay, I love that. Are we upset with Lane Kiffin?

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<v Speaker 4>No?

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<v Speaker 3>I mean he wanted to leave.

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<v Speaker 4>I don't.

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<v Speaker 3>I don't blame like, not that I don't blame it,

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<v Speaker 3>but like if he doesn't want to be here, then

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<v Speaker 3>he's fine.

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<v Speaker 4>Go like, yeah, I'm not.

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<v Speaker 3>I don't. I'm not too worried about it, Jacob.

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<v Speaker 5>Last question for me, how exciting is it to join

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<v Speaker 5>this organization that's building around the young core you could

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<v Speaker 5>that you can add to like a Connor Griffin.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I mean this it's a cool, cool team to

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<v Speaker 3>join right now. There, It's definitely a cool situation coming

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<v Speaker 3>from the previous years to now and we're in a

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<v Speaker 3>we're in a good spot to make a run out

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<v Speaker 3>of this thing.

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<v Speaker 2>What's the walkout song this year?

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<v Speaker 3>I got Can't Tell It All by OV and I

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<v Speaker 3>think it's like lacree.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, gotcha?

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<v Speaker 1>Is there a process you go through like bumping it

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<v Speaker 1>in the car through the offseason thinking about it?

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<v Speaker 3>My wife picked it for me last year and I've

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<v Speaker 3>just been running with this since.

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<v Speaker 6>Beth Seats had the parents getting let me run the base. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 6>my time is like my money because I can't afford

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<v Speaker 6>to waste. Oh why see? Is alloyan to my date?

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<v Speaker 6>To my dates? Or the stick by the plate City