WEBVTT - Orioles team preview

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, if they could lock him up, that would

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<v Speaker 1>be a pre World Series type for aid in Baltimore

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<v Speaker 1>knowing they have this kid for many years to come.

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<v Speaker 2>All right, here's what we want to cover with Baltimore.

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<v Speaker 2>Let's start with the starting staff. They lost Corbin Burns.

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<v Speaker 2>They made major waves last year when they picked up

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<v Speaker 2>Burns via trade with the Brewers, but Burns is gone.

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<v Speaker 2>He goes to Arizona, Charlie Morton and Chicano on the

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<v Speaker 2>back end of that rotation. Winning in October. The O's

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<v Speaker 2>haven't won a playoff game since twenty fourteen. That needs

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<v Speaker 2>to change. In twenty twenty five there in their winning window,

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<v Speaker 2>and that was after that really really rough tank job

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<v Speaker 2>that we saw for a long period of time. Show

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<v Speaker 2>Gunner Henderson the money right now while you still can.

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<v Speaker 2>Baltimore has new ownership. They said that no finances are

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<v Speaker 2>going to hold them back, so that Bobby Wood junior

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<v Speaker 2>deal would be a nice little comp something to think about.

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<v Speaker 2>And also for Baltimore. Yeah, there it is. Yes, winning

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<v Speaker 2>in October, and happy Holidays too, Jackson Holiday. How will

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<v Speaker 2>the former number one overall pick performing in sophomore season

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<v Speaker 2>after an up and down rookie campaign. He's very very young.

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<v Speaker 2>So let's go over all this right now. We're going

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<v Speaker 2>to bring in our guest making his FT debut, Steve Moleski.

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<v Speaker 2>You can follow him at Steve on Baseball Covers the

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<v Speaker 2>Ools for a long time. As I mentioned, Steve, great

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<v Speaker 2>to have you on. I'm going to go right to

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<v Speaker 2>Baz and this is the big question. Is the starting

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<v Speaker 2>rotation good enough to be a division title contender and

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<v Speaker 2>really a World Series contender because they're right in the

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<v Speaker 2>thick of their winning window and they lost Corbin Burns.

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<v Speaker 1>What do you think, Well, there are a few ifs there,

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<v Speaker 1>as I think people know. I think one way the

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<v Speaker 1>Oriols would look at this. Scott is zach Effln was

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<v Speaker 1>really good in his nine Oriel starts sub three era.

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<v Speaker 1>Grayson Rodriguez in his last let's say, thirty three starts

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<v Speaker 1>after he came back, he got to the majors, really struggled,

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<v Speaker 1>went back to Triple A in the thirty three starts.

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<v Speaker 1>Since he has been back in the big leagues, his

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<v Speaker 1>era is three thirty five. His whip is like one

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<v Speaker 1>point fifteen, and I mean those stats are not far off.

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<v Speaker 1>What Cole Reagan's has done and did last year when

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<v Speaker 1>he was believe fourth in the cy Young. So I

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<v Speaker 1>think the Orioles, looking optimistically, say last year they combined

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<v Speaker 1>for twenty nine starts for our team. This year, if

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<v Speaker 1>they can combine for sixty, maybe even a few more,

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<v Speaker 1>then at least the front end is formidable, and we'll

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<v Speaker 1>see how Sigano does. We'll see if Charlie Morton still

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<v Speaker 1>has some magic at forty one, can Dean Kramer take

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<v Speaker 1>a step forward, and then they've got some depth behind that.

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<v Speaker 3>As a former one to one pick, Jackson Holiday had

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<v Speaker 3>an up and down rookie year, a lot of really

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<v Speaker 3>exciting moments for a baby to be in the big leagues.

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<v Speaker 3>What's the outlook for his sophomore season, because he's gonna

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<v Speaker 3>need to improve if this team is going to keep

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<v Speaker 3>him in the lineup to go somewhere.

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<v Speaker 1>Exactly. Talk about the smallest of sample sizes. It was

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<v Speaker 1>the final weekend of the regular season in twenty twenty four,

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<v Speaker 1>the Oriols at Minnesota and Jackson Holliday that weekend dropped

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<v Speaker 1>the highlight kick he had used throughout his amateur and

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<v Speaker 1>professional career to that point. They had behind the scenes

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<v Speaker 1>been working on some tweaks and he was drilling the ball.

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<v Speaker 1>He went like four for five that weekend. He hit

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<v Speaker 1>one four hundred feet off the left center field wall

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<v Speaker 1>in Minnesota. And so again that's the ultimate small sample size.

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<v Speaker 1>But Brandon Hyde said he was incredibly encouraged by that change,

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<v Speaker 1>and he had all winner to be at home at

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<v Speaker 1>Oklahom with his dad working on it. He reported to

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<v Speaker 1>Florida even bigger and stronger, added some weight, and so

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<v Speaker 1>I think we know this kid's makeup, mental makeup is

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<v Speaker 1>incredibly strong. So the struggles he had, I don't think

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<v Speaker 1>that's going to bother him in the least. I think

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<v Speaker 1>he remains very confident what he can do.

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<v Speaker 4>For me.

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<v Speaker 1>It's a matter of guys, does he improve to league

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<v Speaker 1>average or does he take a step beyond that, which

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<v Speaker 1>I think eventually he is going to do.

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<v Speaker 4>Another guy, Gunner Henderson, who's been absolutely spectacular these first

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<v Speaker 4>couple of years here just coming into his own time

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<v Speaker 4>to lock him up. Man, I got a feel and

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<v Speaker 4>this is one of those guys that should be there

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<v Speaker 4>for a long time. I think he will be there

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<v Speaker 4>for a long time. He's got comps to you know,

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<v Speaker 4>Bobby Wood junior kind of look and feel and play

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<v Speaker 4>and money wise, what's holding them back here a little bit?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, you know, I think the first year of the

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<v Speaker 1>new ownership with David Rubinstein and his group was a

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<v Speaker 1>fact finding year, learning what it's like to on a

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<v Speaker 1>major league club. You'd never done that. There are a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of ballpark improvements and the ools are making so

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<v Speaker 1>there are things happening beyond just the major league roster.

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<v Speaker 1>But Michael Isias has said he's got their full support.

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<v Speaker 1>Their payroll did grow to fifteenth from near the bottom

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<v Speaker 1>this year. A lot of that with arbitration raises, but

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<v Speaker 1>they also added O'Neil. They have athlete at eighteen million,

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<v Speaker 1>so there is some spending not seen in Baltimore in

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<v Speaker 1>several years to this point. But you're right, fans and

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<v Speaker 1>media wonder when will be the big signing. They didn't

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<v Speaker 1>re sign Burns, they didn't get Max Free, they haven't

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<v Speaker 1>extended any of the young guys. And I mean, you

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<v Speaker 1>got Adlie, you got Gunner, you got Westburg, you got Grace,

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<v Speaker 1>and you got Galzer. Everywhere you look there's a young

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<v Speaker 1>guy who might be part of their long term future.

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<v Speaker 1>But Gunner heads that list I mean, if they could

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<v Speaker 1>lock him up, that would be you know, that would

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<v Speaker 1>be a pre World Series type parade in Baltimore, knowing

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<v Speaker 1>they have this kid for many years to come.

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<v Speaker 4>Steve.

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<v Speaker 3>In twenty fourteen, I was in the dugout for the

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<v Speaker 3>two games in Baltimore where our Royals pounded the Orioles,

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<v Speaker 3>and a security guard while we were leaving said we'll

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<v Speaker 3>see you guys in four days, meaning they were gonna

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<v Speaker 3>beat us in KC and we're gonna come back. Well,

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<v Speaker 3>now we're in twenty twenty five. Still haven't seen a

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<v Speaker 3>playoff victory since then. So whoever that security guard was

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<v Speaker 3>is probably sick and tired of this. And how's it

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<v Speaker 3>going to turn around in twenty twenty five because you've

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<v Speaker 3>seen it, You've seen this tank job, and it's built

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<v Speaker 3>up for this team. They need to change it in

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<v Speaker 3>twenty twenty five. How are they gonna do it?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, you know, when someone asked me this week, what's

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<v Speaker 1>going to determine this season? I said, you know, it's

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<v Speaker 1>going to be six months of the grind of baseball

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<v Speaker 1>to get to October, which when we look a year

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<v Speaker 1>from now, that's how we'll look at their season in

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<v Speaker 1>October go team has been swept out two straight years,

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<v Speaker 1>ten straight playoff losses. They have not won a playoff

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<v Speaker 1>series since the series before that ALCS in twenty fourteen

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<v Speaker 1>against the Tigers. So that is the next stepping stone

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<v Speaker 1>for the Orioles. They have rebuilt the team. They went

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<v Speaker 1>from one hundred and fifteen losses to one hundred and

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<v Speaker 1>one wins. They showed they could win the Aled East

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<v Speaker 1>in twenty twenty three. They've still got a fertile farm.

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<v Speaker 1>Now they have to win in October. I mean, that's

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<v Speaker 1>the next step for this team. And as we know,

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<v Speaker 1>the Yankees will tell you, even the Dodgers could tell

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<v Speaker 1>you many bites of the apple before you actually get it.

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<v Speaker 1>It is the crapshoot, they say, October baseball now in

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<v Speaker 1>Major League Baseball. But that's the next hurdle for this team.

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<v Speaker 1>And when October comes, the pressure will be on the

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<v Speaker 1>Orioles if they make it, which they look like they

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<v Speaker 1>have a good chance to do.

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<v Speaker 3>Steve, did you say a fertile farm. I just want

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<v Speaker 3>to make sure I heard you right.

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<v Speaker 1>It has fallen in the farm rankings. I'll grant you that,

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<v Speaker 1>but they still have two times fifteen guys here Besio

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<v Speaker 1>and Mayo, two top fifteen, top twenty who we have

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<v Speaker 1>barely seen, and some guys behind that they like, like Bradfield.

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<v Speaker 1>So I think it was a natural progression. You cannot

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<v Speaker 1>stay number one forever. The Braves have sort of done it.

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<v Speaker 1>The Dodgers. It's hard to win at the major league

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<v Speaker 1>level and have a top farm. So yeah, it's probably

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<v Speaker 1>not as fertile as it was when they were ranked

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<v Speaker 1>number one, when guys like Jackson Holliday were in the

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<v Speaker 1>farm and going further back, Adalie and Gunner. But I

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<v Speaker 1>think they still feel good about it, and they really

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<v Speaker 1>feel good about their international program, which if you look

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<v Speaker 1>at their top thirty right now, it's almost half international.

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<v Speaker 1>There are very few teams that can say that, so

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<v Speaker 1>they do have some next wave or two coming they feel.

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<v Speaker 3>I love that you said fertile farming. The issue is

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<v Speaker 3>what happens from a fertile farm. You build beautiful, beautiful produce,

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<v Speaker 3>but if it never gets picked, it rottens and all

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<v Speaker 3>of these prospects could be rotting. Is michae Elias going

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<v Speaker 3>to be able to create all these beautiful prospects and

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<v Speaker 3>never get rid of him? To get over the hump

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<v Speaker 3>or is he going to be able to change his

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<v Speaker 3>evaluation and say, you know what, it's okay, we got

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<v Speaker 3>rid of Norby. He's going to have success. But we

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<v Speaker 3>believe in in you know, we picked up we picked

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<v Speaker 3>up Rogers, whether it's good or bad. Is he going

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<v Speaker 3>to be able to get away from that evaluation or

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<v Speaker 3>is it going to be the same old, same old.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, I think the pressure on the Oil front of

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<v Speaker 1>office is Okay, you rebuilt it. You said you wanted

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<v Speaker 1>to make an elite farm system. You did. You said

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<v Speaker 1>you wanted to get back to winning, you did, and

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<v Speaker 1>now can they win in October? That pressure's on the

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<v Speaker 1>entire organization from Micha Elias on down. And I think

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<v Speaker 1>Mike is a first time general manager. And while he's

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<v Speaker 1>been very good in Baltimore, he would probably even tell you,

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<v Speaker 1>uh that. Now the test for him and his staff

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<v Speaker 1>is to keep it going, keep winning. He said, I

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<v Speaker 1>only want to rebuild this once. We don't want to

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<v Speaker 1>go through this twice. And stay relevant, stay winning, stay good,

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<v Speaker 1>keep the window vast, and kick the door in. So

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<v Speaker 1>that's the test for Mike two. He got him to

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<v Speaker 1>this point. Now what does he and his staff do

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<v Speaker 1>to take the next steps.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm with you, Hey, we're waiting for it. I know

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<v Speaker 2>Baltimore is very very anxious for that next step, so

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<v Speaker 2>we'll see what happens. It's great to have you on

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<v Speaker 2>here for the first time. Really appreciated Steve. Everyone can

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<v Speaker 2>give Steve a follow if you don't already. Steve on

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<v Speaker 2>Baseball covers the oriol super super well, so we appreciate it.

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<v Speaker 1>Great to have you all right, Thanks Scott, Thanks guys,