1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,400 Speaker 1: No fan wants to hear this. The hard reality is 2 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 1: market size is real. As we talked about earlier, the 3 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 1: difference in revenues, meaning the difference in payroll. 4 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:08,440 Speaker 2: It's real. 5 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 3: Hey, we're excited to have Neil Huntington on the show. 6 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:20,079 Speaker 3: Former general manager of the Pirates, current special assistant to 7 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:22,759 Speaker 3: the President of Baseball APPS in GM for the Cleveland Guardians. 8 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 4: Neil, great to have you on. Thank you for the time. 9 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 4: How you doing and I like the little logo there 10 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 4: doing great? 11 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: Thanks so much Scott, Todd and Eric for having me 12 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:32,520 Speaker 1: on the show. Eric has been a long time man. 13 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 5: It has been a long time and for everybody who 14 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 5: doesn't know, Neil fired me twice. So but but I 15 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 5: have to bring a negative up. I have to bring 16 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 5: a negative up. 17 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:44,040 Speaker 6: I sucked. 18 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 5: And the positive part was he actually gave me my 19 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 5: first chance in the big leagues. And without that, hey, 20 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:53,639 Speaker 5: never know if I would have ever made the big 21 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 5: leagues and gotten to know Todd Frazier. 22 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 6: Hey, now that's good. 23 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 4: I like that all right, Neil. 24 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 3: So I want to start first with you know, your 25 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 3: current role with the Guardians, and if you can give 26 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 3: us a little insight on what they've been up to lately. 27 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 3: Of course, just signed Paul Sewald and they're coming off 28 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,040 Speaker 3: in ALCS where they were making a lot of Yankee 29 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 3: fans pretty damn nervous. 30 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,319 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a fascinating club in that our starting pitching 31 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 1: was was probably the biggest challenge, and that's not typically 32 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: something that gets you to the postseason. But our manager, 33 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: our staff, our players played so hard every out of 34 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: every game, and our bullpen gave us a chance to 35 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: get back into games, and our starting pitching was just 36 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 1: good enough. Our offense found a way to score runs. 37 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:46,040 Speaker 1: You know, this offseason has been about trying to move 38 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: some things around to create some financial flexibility down the road, 39 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 1: while also trying to add to the good core that's 40 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 1: here with a young group that's coming behind it. And 41 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 1: it's always is a challenge to add, move laterally and 42 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: in some cases subtract while strying while still trying to 43 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: move forward. 44 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 7: I want to ask you a question right now, with 45 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 7: all the signings going on on the East coast and 46 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 7: West coast, the Midwest, and the you know, right in 47 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 7: the center of America, here are you guys? 48 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 6: Are you guys happy about that? 49 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:20,800 Speaker 7: You said, like, because all these big names are going 50 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:22,960 Speaker 7: right and left to you guys, and it doesn't seem 51 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 7: like the you know, they're coming in the middle. 52 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:26,799 Speaker 6: I got to feel like you're some sort of happy 53 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 6: I would assume. 54 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 1: Well, the reality is that the big money is always 55 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: going to be what plays in the big markets, and 56 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: so that's where your primary free agents, your premium free agents, 57 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 1: they tend to end up in the bigger markets. And 58 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 1: that's where the smaller markets tend to play. In that 59 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 1: middle tier and that next tier. And again walking that 60 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,800 Speaker 1: fine line between this year and next year and two years, 61 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: three years from now. Adding Carlos Santana, adding Paul c. 62 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: Walt or a couple of veterans with a ton of experience, 63 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 1: you're going to help our young players continue to grow. 64 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 1: And these are the challenges the small markets to face. 65 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:06,079 Speaker 5: Can you tell me a little bit about the hiring process, 66 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:09,839 Speaker 5: not only for coaches, but getting players in Because I've 67 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 5: played for the Pirates where you were the GM. I've 68 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:17,640 Speaker 5: played for the Guardians, they were the Indians at the time. Incredible, 69 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 5: incredible people. How much is that important in these small markets? 70 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 2: Crucial? Eric, The. 71 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: Most major league teams are playing from a similar playbook. 72 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: Every major league team has the same resource foundation due 73 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 1: to the national television contracts and the national revenue. Where 74 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 1: it becomes very different is as you start to get 75 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 1: into local revenues, and that's where one club may have four, five, six, 76 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: eight times the local revenues that a small market does. 77 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: So when you're playing from the same playbook, you have 78 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 1: the same expense foundation in player development and scouting and 79 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: analytics and just running a baseball organization. Everybody has that 80 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: same but for the small markets, that percentage of total 81 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: of money available is much larger than it is for 82 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 1: the large markets. And that's essentially where your differences in 83 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 1: payrolls come from is local revenues. So as you look 84 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 1: at how do we find an advantage in these small markets, 85 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: we believe it's our processes and our people, and the 86 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 1: process has become exhaustive. The recruiting that goes on in 87 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: free agency, the planning that goes through identifying how we 88 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: think we can help a free agent is exhaustive. The 89 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: recruiting of staff, the continual sourcing of potential staff members 90 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 1: or somewhere down the road, it's never ending. And then 91 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: once you get into that hiring process, it is absolutely 92 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: crucial that we get it right. And Cleveland's more exhaustive 93 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:52,479 Speaker 1: in terms of the vetting process and the interview process 94 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 1: of anybody I've ever seen. And I think the proof 95 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 1: is in the putting with the quality that Chris Antonetti 96 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 1: and Mike Tronoff bring to this sort ofization. Steve Vote 97 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: hit the ground running despite being a rookie manager and 98 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,160 Speaker 1: following a Hall of famer, had a great staff around him, 99 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:11,039 Speaker 1: and they just I mean, man, they were unbelievable this 100 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:12,600 Speaker 1: year and it was so much fun to watch them 101 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:16,160 Speaker 1: work and look forward to this year in future years. 102 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 5: How do you sit there and feel about your tenure 103 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 5: as a Pirates GM because you took an organization that 104 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:28,600 Speaker 5: was at seventeen losing seasons and then rattled off what 105 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:33,160 Speaker 5: was built with a minor league, minor league organization that 106 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 5: your crew built you, Kyle Stark, you know, I'm forgetting 107 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 5: people now, Jim Bennedict that were in the minor leagues 108 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 5: and you created that small dynasty for a city that 109 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:50,479 Speaker 5: is craving it. How do you feel about your tenure 110 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:54,159 Speaker 5: there and looking back on now what they've done since? 111 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 1: So the challenge to that is obviously is not good 112 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:01,040 Speaker 1: enough because I'm now sitting here with Guardian's logo on 113 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: my chest and the Zasta. 114 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 2: Back to Pittsburgh. 115 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:05,159 Speaker 6: But that's it. 116 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 2: I am proud of a lot of what we did. 117 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: We took over a situation that a friend of mine 118 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:12,919 Speaker 1: after I took the job told me I would have 119 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:15,920 Speaker 1: been better taking an expansion club, and I asked him 120 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:17,680 Speaker 1: why he didn't tell me that before I took the job. 121 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 1: But we brought in people that were committed to something 122 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 1: bigger than themselves. We brought in people that wanted to 123 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:26,479 Speaker 1: do something the right way, and we had the three 124 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: year rebuild, and people forget that. In year four we 125 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 1: were competitive deep into August and then had an abysmal September. 126 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 1: We did the same thing in year five and then 127 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 1: year six is twenty thirteen, and one of the most 128 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 1: special moments I think I'll ever experience professionally was the 129 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: wild Card Game of Pittsburgh and had a three year 130 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 1: run where I think we had the second or third 131 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: best record in baseball. The problem is the Cardinals were 132 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:49,359 Speaker 1: one of the teams that were ahead of us, and 133 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 1: we just couldn't find our way around them. Rolled things 134 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:55,160 Speaker 1: out there in sixteen seventeen, it didn't work, So we 135 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 1: shifted gears, tried to shift things up and traded some 136 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 1: players nearing the end of their time under contract in Pittsburgh, 137 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: and it didn't work. And we tried to retool without rebuilding, 138 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 1: and it didn't work. And that's why I'm sitting here today, 139 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 1: but incredibly proud of the people. 140 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 2: Kyle Stark was phenomenal. 141 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: Kevin Graves as an assistant GM is tremendous, and I 142 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 1: hope gets an opportunity as a GM someday. Greg Smith 143 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 1: and Joe Delacari brought in a ton of good players 144 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 1: in our scouting systems, and our player development staff are 145 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 1: major league coaches. Clint Hurdle was so much, so great 146 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,640 Speaker 1: to work with and worked so hard to get the 147 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:35,239 Speaker 1: most out of the people that were around him. Again, 148 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:38,280 Speaker 1: I wish we had found a way to win more games, 149 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 1: certainly in October, but over the course of the years, and. 150 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 2: It didn't end well. 151 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 1: But I am incredibly proud of a lot of the 152 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 1: things that we did there. 153 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 5: I mean, don't even you glossed over the fact that 154 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 5: you guys build a brand new facility down in the 155 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 5: Dominican for Dominican players to continue to grow that pipeline. 156 00:07:57,360 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 5: But there was a story out there about how you 157 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 5: had as for some money from Bob Nutting and you 158 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 5: know he said no, and all this stuff during that 159 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 5: time to make that jump you said about passing the Cardinals. 160 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 5: Was there ever a dollar figure in your mind or 161 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 5: a player that cost a certain dollar figure that would 162 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 5: have been, like, man, you know what if we had 163 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 5: had this person to pair with Garrett Cole, to pair 164 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 5: with a young Jamison tye On, and we could have 165 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 5: gone and gotten him, probably would have costed more than 166 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 5: the largest free agent contract at nineteen million dollars that 167 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 5: any pirate has ever gotten. Do you know what that 168 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 5: dollar amount would be? Because I know pirate fans would 169 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:44,679 Speaker 5: love to know how close they are or were or 170 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:47,920 Speaker 5: could be to winning a championship in that city. 171 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 1: So the reality, it's a great question. The reality is 172 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 1: we never allowed or so of those those thoughts. 173 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:57,600 Speaker 2: Those conversations at the time. 174 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:01,319 Speaker 1: We worked within the parameters that that our market allowed, 175 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 1: that our ownership allowed, and we worked to do the 176 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: absolute best that we could. We tied to take some chances. 177 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 1: It didn't always work, sometimes it worked out great. We 178 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 1: tried to maximize the dollars that we were applying through 179 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: good scout and good coaching, good developments, and again in 180 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 1: a lot of cases it worked. In some cases it didn't. 181 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:26,200 Speaker 1: Yeah to sit in that bottom ten and payroll every 182 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:29,079 Speaker 1: single years I look back on it is tough bottom 183 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 1: five for the majority of our time there. At the 184 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: same time, I look at what Chris and Mike are 185 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:38,320 Speaker 1: accomplishing here in Cleveland, and they've accomplished in Eric and 186 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:41,400 Speaker 1: before him, Andrew down at Tampa, and it is possible. 187 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:44,319 Speaker 1: It's just a margin for error is so much smaller. 188 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:47,440 Speaker 1: The hard reality, and no fan wants to hear this, 189 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:50,360 Speaker 1: the hard reality is market size is real. As we 190 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 1: talked about earlier, the difference in revenues, meaning the difference 191 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 1: in payroll is it's real. It's not a facade. There 192 00:09:58,040 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 1: are some organizations that given year or a given sequence 193 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:03,440 Speaker 1: of years, when they think they have a window, they'll 194 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:04,320 Speaker 1: deficit spend. 195 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:06,080 Speaker 2: But most of these. 196 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 1: Owners, our owners, because they were good business people, and 197 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 1: good business people tend not to like to lose money 198 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 1: on a consistent basis, and so the owners spend what 199 00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: the market allows, what the revenues allow. Ideally, a front 200 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 1: office has the freedom to move some money around as 201 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:25,680 Speaker 1: they see fit. And that's we were able to do 202 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 1: that in Pittsburgh, Chris and Mike and and is that 203 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:30,240 Speaker 1: all able to do that here? And it looks like 204 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 1: Eric is able to do that down at Tampa Bay. 205 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 1: And that's that's crucial to be able to push some 206 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 1: more in in some years and maybe reallocate it in others. 207 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 1: But everybody wants spending to be the answer. But this 208 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:47,000 Speaker 1: is a business. No one likes to hear that, No 209 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:49,079 Speaker 1: fans want to hear that. But it is a business. 210 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: And typically twenty eight owners twenty seven owners operate as 211 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 1: operate as if it's a business. Sometimes you have one 212 00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 1: or two or three that'll go out and deficit spend 213 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 1: in a certain period of time. And that is the 214 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 1: harsh reality. 215 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:06,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, you can depthsit spend because the franchise value skyrockets. 216 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:09,280 Speaker 3: We also don't have access to books. So especially the 217 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 3: case in Pittsburgh gets really tough, Neil, because most people 218 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 3: look at it and say, how am I supposed to 219 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 3: feel bad for the ownership group that can't spend twenty 220 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:21,040 Speaker 3: million dollars in free agency? I don't believe that. I 221 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:23,680 Speaker 3: know fans don't believe that. And If that's truly the case, 222 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:26,720 Speaker 3: most people say, then someone else should be owning the team, 223 00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:29,240 Speaker 3: because there definitely are people that would take over a 224 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:32,120 Speaker 3: team like that. Do you commiserate with fans in a 225 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:35,080 Speaker 3: case like that? Do you feel like Pittsburgh can't even 226 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 3: spend twenty million dollars on a long term contract on 227 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 3: a player in free agency at this point in the game, 228 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:44,959 Speaker 3: with the revenues that even the Pirates have, So, of. 229 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:49,360 Speaker 1: Course, Scott, I understand the frustration where teams are choosing 230 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 1: not to spend. The equity in the club is a 231 00:11:55,960 --> 00:11:59,280 Speaker 1: bit of a false argument. It's the same as home equity. 232 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:02,200 Speaker 1: You only get it if you loan, if you take 233 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 1: out a loan, or if you sell the club. So 234 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,360 Speaker 1: most owners don't intend to sell. Some that do are 235 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:11,240 Speaker 1: the ones that tend to deficit spend because they want 236 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: to take a run at it before they before they 237 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:17,439 Speaker 1: sell the club. And you're right, it's tough to feel 238 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:20,360 Speaker 1: sorry for billionaires that are saying they can't spend. I 239 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 1: definitely understand that, and again, ideally there would be every 240 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:29,080 Speaker 1: owner that would be willing to deficit spend for a 241 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 1: sequence of years when they feel like their window is open. 242 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 1: Unfortunately that that isn't the case in the industry. The 243 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:38,680 Speaker 1: other sports don't typically don't deficit spend because they don't 244 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 1: need to because player X costs a percentage of their payroll. 245 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 1: And that's the difference between a player choosing to play 246 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:51,440 Speaker 1: in Boston, Chicago, or Pittsburgh or Cleveland. But in Major 247 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 1: League Baseball, when a player costs ten percent of Cleveland's payroll, 248 00:12:56,760 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 1: that that's a ten million dollar player. When he costs 249 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:02,000 Speaker 1: ten percent of a large market teams payroll, that's twenty 250 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 1: five to thirty to thirty five million dollar player. 251 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 2: And that does make it very, very different. 252 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:11,720 Speaker 1: I definitely understand why fans get frustrated because they see 253 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 1: billionaires that don't spend their business people, and business people 254 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 1: run businesses, and they don't run businesses to lose money 255 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 1: on a consistent basis. Ideally, some are willing to do 256 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:28,520 Speaker 1: it on on a short term basis. My expectation and 257 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:31,040 Speaker 1: my assumption watching from a distance here years ago, is 258 00:13:31,559 --> 00:13:33,760 Speaker 1: that the Dolans here in Cleveland have been willing to 259 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:36,080 Speaker 1: do that as I've looked at their payroll numbers compared 260 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:39,240 Speaker 1: to other small markets, and the first my first go 261 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:41,800 Speaker 1: around with Cleveland. I know they definitely spent at times, 262 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 1: but that's not a way to run a business on 263 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:45,440 Speaker 1: a consistent basis. 264 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 6: That's all. 265 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:50,280 Speaker 5: That's that's awesome to hear about Cleveland, and your insight 266 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:56,280 Speaker 5: is awesome because you were in those meetings. There is 267 00:13:56,320 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 5: there a situation where if the were you know, we 268 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:03,640 Speaker 5: hear salary cap, salary cap, we have a soft salary 269 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:09,559 Speaker 5: cap with the threshold, the luxury tax threshold. If the 270 00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 5: because you've seen these numbers, if there is a floor 271 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,800 Speaker 5: put in, do you feel like some of these teams 272 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:18,720 Speaker 5: will have to sell their team because of the fact 273 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 5: that now they're having needing to spend an extra seventy 274 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:26,480 Speaker 5: million dollars because of where the floor is put because 275 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:29,440 Speaker 5: of where the ceiling is. Just like other other other leagues. 276 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 1: So the way the other leagues make it work eric 277 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:37,320 Speaker 1: is is just a lot more revenue sharing. The reason 278 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:39,880 Speaker 1: Green Bank can compete with New England and the Los 279 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 1: Angeles teams is there's a lot more revenue sharing. So 280 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:47,200 Speaker 1: that that is a big obstacle I think from from 281 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:52,920 Speaker 1: the ownership side, is more revenue sharing, but without without 282 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:55,840 Speaker 1: without revenue sharing, I think it would be extremely difficult 283 00:14:56,520 --> 00:15:01,960 Speaker 1: to to find to make it work on on on 284 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 1: a team side without significant revenue sharing. If there is 285 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:06,880 Speaker 1: a salary floor, which if there's going to be a 286 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:08,960 Speaker 1: salary cap, I certainly understand why they would be the 287 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:11,480 Speaker 1: expectation of a salary floor, but there would need to 288 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 1: be significant shift in revenue sharing, as is done in 289 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:16,080 Speaker 1: the other sports. 290 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 5: We've heard your name mentioned in so many jobs. Good 291 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 5: thing you didn't take the Giant's job because Buster just 292 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 5: came in and just was like, well, I'm done playing, 293 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 5: so I'll go and do that now. So that's unfair. 294 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:31,560 Speaker 5: That's like, that's like me coming in and being like Buster, 295 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 5: I'm going to catch now, and Buster's like, oh, actually, 296 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:37,560 Speaker 5: I'm just gonna keep catching. So he would have taken 297 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 5: your job. Your name, your name's been bantered around with 298 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 5: other teams. What's next for you? What are what is 299 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:46,360 Speaker 5: your I don't want to say goal because I know 300 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 5: your mindset is not necessarily oh I need this job 301 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:53,280 Speaker 5: because you see the fact that somebody has that job 302 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:56,000 Speaker 5: already and you're not looking to poach somebody's job. But 303 00:15:56,120 --> 00:15:58,640 Speaker 5: what do you what is your goal in the game 304 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:03,800 Speaker 5: as you currently sit here in twenty twenty five, so. 305 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:07,040 Speaker 1: I took the Pirates job not to become a GM. 306 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 1: I took the Pirates job to help people achieve their 307 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:14,480 Speaker 1: personal and professional goals and to create lifelong positive memories 308 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 1: for our fans. I'm not quite in that same realm now, 309 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:22,240 Speaker 1: but I can give back to young staff and young 310 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:26,000 Speaker 1: executives and mentor. I'm out and about evaluating. I saw 311 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:28,160 Speaker 1: a ton of players for the draft. I see our 312 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 1: minor league system. I share my thoughts with Chris and 313 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:36,800 Speaker 1: Mike and Matt Foreman, the tremendous assistant GM. If the 314 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 1: right opportunity were to present itself to lead a baseball 315 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:43,360 Speaker 1: operations department again with the right group and charge and 316 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:46,800 Speaker 1: the right ownership group, I would love to take another 317 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:49,680 Speaker 1: run and learn from the lessons. If it doesn't, I'm 318 00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 1: in a really good spot with the Cleveland Guardians and 319 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 1: I love this group. And if something else pops up 320 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:58,080 Speaker 1: in between, you know, I'm absolutely open to it. I 321 00:16:58,160 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 1: just want to continue to try to help people. 322 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:06,159 Speaker 7: What the Dodgers are doing right now is incredible, signing 323 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:09,120 Speaker 7: all these guys not worried about money, getting after doing what. 324 00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:10,639 Speaker 6: They have to do. What do you think about this? 325 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:13,120 Speaker 7: And have you ever seen anything like this in your 326 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:16,919 Speaker 7: career with all the big time guys that they're signing 327 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:19,120 Speaker 7: and the money that there are just are given out. 328 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:22,879 Speaker 1: No, you know, you go back to the criticism that 329 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 1: people used to levy on the Yankees and the Dodgers 330 00:17:25,600 --> 00:17:29,560 Speaker 1: are dwarfing that. You know, they're they're they're running circles 331 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:31,919 Speaker 1: around what was done back in the day. It feels 332 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:35,919 Speaker 1: like anyway, and again, a credit to them, they figured 333 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:36,720 Speaker 1: out a way to make. 334 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 2: The finances work. 335 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:40,959 Speaker 1: I have no idea if their deficit spending or if 336 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:44,199 Speaker 1: their revenues are just this strong that they're able to 337 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:47,120 Speaker 1: do this. And you know, you look at the other 338 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:50,800 Speaker 1: leagues and and and there are teams in huge markets 339 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:53,240 Speaker 1: that make huge profits. There are teams in smaller markets 340 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:56,320 Speaker 1: that that you know, some years make profits, some years don't. 341 00:17:56,400 --> 00:18:00,240 Speaker 1: And I'm never going to criticize an owner or a 342 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: front office for doing. 343 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:03,720 Speaker 2: What they are able to and allowed to do. 344 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: And it seems tough for the game when when teams 345 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:11,200 Speaker 1: are talking about signing a player to play a marquee 346 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 1: role for them, and he goes to Los Angeles and 347 00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:16,480 Speaker 1: he's going to be the fourth or fifth best at 348 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:21,280 Speaker 1: his role. But We're here to win championships. It's what 349 00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:24,480 Speaker 1: we sign up for. We recognize it doesn't change our 350 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 1: motivation at the end of the day, are on field 351 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:30,080 Speaker 1: goals to win championships, And if it gets a little tougher, 352 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:31,600 Speaker 1: it gets a little tougher, and we're going to show 353 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:32,680 Speaker 1: up and compete every day. 354 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:36,440 Speaker 4: Neil, I just want to do a side by side. 355 00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 3: Since you spent a lot of time in Pittsburgh and 356 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:39,920 Speaker 3: now you've been gone for a while and now you've 357 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:43,000 Speaker 3: spent a good chunk of time with Cleveland, why do 358 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:47,119 Speaker 3: you think Cleveland has more success recently as an organization 359 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:50,280 Speaker 3: versus Pittsburgh? You know, even since you left. I know 360 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:54,080 Speaker 3: you're not there. But they both live in central divisions 361 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 3: where it's sure these teams have to kind of scrap 362 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,480 Speaker 3: and cloud with payroll, but they're in a similar enough 363 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:03,120 Speaker 3: range to their teams. So this is partially for Pittsburgh 364 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:05,320 Speaker 3: fans like, why can't we be good after going through 365 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:09,280 Speaker 3: a whole teardown and starting back up and Cleveland fans saying, 366 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:11,359 Speaker 3: what are we doing so well that we're able to 367 00:19:11,359 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 3: put together a team like this? 368 00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 1: So what makes Cleveland so special and Tampa so special 369 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:20,879 Speaker 1: is that they didn't. They haven't had to go through 370 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:24,439 Speaker 1: a teardown and rebuild. If you look at Cleveland's records 371 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 1: over the past ten fifteen years, the one loss record 372 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:34,360 Speaker 1: is just incredible for the resources and Tampa. Similarly, in Pittsburgh, 373 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:36,240 Speaker 1: we tore it down when we got there. We worked 374 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:39,719 Speaker 1: really hard not to have to tear it down. You know, 375 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 1: the biggest difference between between Pittsburgh and Cleveland goes back 376 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:47,320 Speaker 1: to like twenty and thirteen to twenty nineteen, and Cleveland 377 00:19:47,359 --> 00:19:51,120 Speaker 1: had Chris Antonetti and Pittsburgh and me and I say 378 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:53,240 Speaker 1: that in all seriousness that that's how good this front 379 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:55,959 Speaker 1: office is is they are a difference maker front office 380 00:19:56,640 --> 00:19:59,200 Speaker 1: in their people and their processes and how they apply 381 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:03,800 Speaker 1: those things. The hard part is if you would ask 382 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:06,679 Speaker 1: people if if after year three in Pittsburgh, if I 383 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:10,120 Speaker 1: was gonna last year six, ninety percent of the fans 384 00:20:10,119 --> 00:20:14,000 Speaker 1: would have said, god, I hope not. But but four year, four, 385 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:16,159 Speaker 1: year five, we started the show, signs, year six we 386 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:19,320 Speaker 1: made the postseason. This has been and and his front 387 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:22,600 Speaker 1: office is sixth year. They've got great young pitching over there. 388 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:25,679 Speaker 1: How they they find enough offense is going to be 389 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:28,919 Speaker 1: something that they need to do. I respect Derek Shelton 390 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:32,600 Speaker 1: a lot. I'm rooting for them. The fans of Pittsburgh 391 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:35,679 Speaker 1: are passionate. That passion turns the venom when when they 392 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:37,920 Speaker 1: lose too much, whether it's the Pirates, the Penguins, or 393 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:41,240 Speaker 1: the Steelers, we all feel it. We all felt it 394 00:20:41,359 --> 00:20:44,520 Speaker 1: back in the day. And and then again that's the reality. 395 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 1: So that margin Ferrera we talked about earlier is really small. 396 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:51,440 Speaker 1: And if you you swing and miss, sometimes you don't 397 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:55,000 Speaker 1: get that second swing or sometimes that that that it 398 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:58,359 Speaker 1: just causes too much damage. And that's that's the hard 399 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:00,520 Speaker 1: part of these small markets. And and that were Chris 400 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 1: and Mike here in Cleveland, with Terry and now Voter, 401 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:07,640 Speaker 1: they've just found a way to maintain that competitive edge, 402 00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:11,520 Speaker 1: to maintain the ability to retain really good players, but 403 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:14,680 Speaker 1: have enough depth that when they get injured, they're able 404 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 1: to somehow survive, and when they have an off year, 405 00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:20,600 Speaker 1: it's not five off years. And it just it's remarkable 406 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:24,639 Speaker 1: what they do here. The partnerships, the emphasis on growth 407 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 1: and development, both in the front office with our coaches, 408 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:31,240 Speaker 1: excuse me, and with our players is special. And it's 409 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 1: like no place I've ever seen before. 410 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:36,479 Speaker 5: I had a story it would take too long about 411 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 5: getting my first minor league contract with the Pirates. I 412 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 5: don't think you were a part of it was more 413 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:43,760 Speaker 5: Kyle Stark. So I'll tell that story on the show 414 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:46,920 Speaker 5: another time. But I want you to go to twenty ten, 415 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:49,360 Speaker 5: and I know you made a ton of player moves. 416 00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 5: I was told in two thousand and eighteen or nineteen 417 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:56,000 Speaker 5: by one of the coaches that you had in your 418 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:58,639 Speaker 5: in your room. Theres a lot of coaches. At the 419 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:01,840 Speaker 5: end of spring training. I was told that I was 420 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:06,120 Speaker 5: voted of the six or eight people. Majority vote had 421 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:08,600 Speaker 5: me making the team out of spring training, but I 422 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:12,640 Speaker 5: was not on the forty man roster. Can you confirm 423 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:16,840 Speaker 5: or deny that you were one of the people with 424 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:20,600 Speaker 5: John Russell that said I should not make the team 425 00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:21,600 Speaker 5: out of spring training. 426 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 1: Well, since you didn't make the team, obviously, I was 427 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:27,760 Speaker 1: a part of that, Eric, so you can hate me 428 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:31,000 Speaker 1: for that. I remember bringing you into camp, and I 429 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 1: don't know if you remember this, and I'm sorry to 430 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 1: take time that we don't have, but when we sat 431 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 1: down for our entrance meeting at the beginning of spring training, 432 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:41,160 Speaker 1: we had signed you. I think it was January late January. 433 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:42,880 Speaker 1: You were coming out of Toronto. You'd had a good 434 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:45,360 Speaker 1: year in Double A, you were older, and we had 435 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:48,879 Speaker 1: signed you in all candor to be an organizational catcher, 436 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,560 Speaker 1: to go to Triple A, to lead a staff, to 437 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:54,880 Speaker 1: catch throw to game call and help our young players mature. 438 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:59,359 Speaker 1: And when we talked about that in spring training, I 439 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:01,520 Speaker 1: remember you at the end of the meeting, looking me 440 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:04,560 Speaker 1: dead in the eye and saying, I'm just not sure 441 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:06,640 Speaker 1: why you wouldn't want a guy who can do all 442 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:09,879 Speaker 1: those things and hit twenty bombs, so keep me in mind. 443 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:11,959 Speaker 1: And that's how you ended our meeting at the end 444 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:13,920 Speaker 1: of the spring training when you joined us, Love. 445 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 5: That is all true story, except for the fact you 446 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:22,080 Speaker 5: actually Kyle Stark had actually said in the meeting you 447 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:26,440 Speaker 5: were going to go to Double A, but Joe Kerrigan, 448 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:30,080 Speaker 5: Joe Kerrigan spoke up for me, and I ended up 449 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:34,080 Speaker 5: being the Triple A backup behind Robinson Diz because you 450 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:37,720 Speaker 5: had Miguel Perez, who now Miggy's the Triple A manager 451 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:41,600 Speaker 5: of the Indianapolis Indians. But at the end, at part 452 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:45,560 Speaker 5: of that meeting, Kyle Stark said, if before we release 453 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:48,359 Speaker 5: you halfway through the year, we would love to see 454 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:51,040 Speaker 5: if you could pitch. So I was get I got hired, 455 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:54,439 Speaker 5: and you were already thinking about how to fire me 456 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:57,439 Speaker 5: or hire me on as a coach. So it was 457 00:23:57,480 --> 00:23:57,720 Speaker 5: one of. 458 00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:01,160 Speaker 2: Those two editions. Two additions to that, Eric. 459 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:06,400 Speaker 1: One, we actually talked about and called you coach Kratz 460 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:09,119 Speaker 1: as we signed you, because we thought you were going 461 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:12,720 Speaker 1: to be an outstanding manager someday. So we were signing 462 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:15,200 Speaker 1: you in part to come learn our culture, come add 463 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:17,480 Speaker 1: to our culture, but then hopefully be a part of 464 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:21,080 Speaker 1: leading our culture. When your time was done, you went 465 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:23,880 Speaker 1: to Triple A and we're too good. You played your 466 00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:26,119 Speaker 1: way to the major leagues. Unfortunately, we didn't see that 467 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:28,879 Speaker 1: same result in the major leagues, and we moved on 468 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:32,000 Speaker 1: from you mistakenly because you went out and had a 469 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:34,600 Speaker 1: heck of a major league career, Eric, and my hat's. 470 00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:34,720 Speaker 2: Off to you. 471 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:36,840 Speaker 1: But so not only did we did we think we 472 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:40,160 Speaker 1: might ask you to pitch, We called you coach Kratz 473 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:42,520 Speaker 1: because we hoped you were going to lead our system 474 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:45,200 Speaker 1: and be a really good manager maybe at the major 475 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:47,280 Speaker 1: league level, but certainly in the minor leagues for us. 476 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:50,200 Speaker 1: If you hadn't gone out and played so well. 477 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:53,240 Speaker 5: It's all part of the journey. It's all part of 478 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 5: the journey, getting fired, getting hired, and pushing your way through. 479 00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:59,320 Speaker 4: And you still coach Kratz now with and. 480 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:01,680 Speaker 7: You're right, he is a good manager for his son's 481 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:02,680 Speaker 7: high school team too. 482 00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:03,200 Speaker 4: That's right. 483 00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:06,720 Speaker 3: Well, thank you so much for joining us and providing 484 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:08,880 Speaker 3: all the insight. Really helpful for us. We love talking 485 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:12,080 Speaker 3: to front office people, so appreciate the time. And we'll 486 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 3: see in spring training out in Arizona. 487 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 2: Sounds good, Thanks so much, guys. 488 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:19,960 Speaker 3: I enjoyed it all right, good insight there. Tried to 489 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:23,719 Speaker 3: bring it to on questioning because the part that is 490 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:28,240 Speaker 3: fascinating to me is why can Cleveland thrive but Pittsburgh can't. 491 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:32,920 Speaker 3: You know, if Pittsburgh doesn't land their number one pick 492 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:34,440 Speaker 3: in a Paul Skeen's year, where would they be? 493 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:34,960 Speaker 4: Right now? 494 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:39,159 Speaker 5: I'll go because so I'm in nine and ten, I 495 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:42,040 Speaker 5: was in the organization sixteen, I went for a little 496 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:44,440 Speaker 5: bit yep with just you know, just the big leagues. 497 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:47,960 Speaker 5: But I saw everybody in the minor leagues. I saw 498 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:51,600 Speaker 5: everybody in the minor leagues. With Cleveland, they hit it. 499 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:55,160 Speaker 5: I mean ninety nine percent of the time. With their staff, 500 00:25:55,200 --> 00:25:59,960 Speaker 5: their coaches, their other little things. They hit that perfectly 501 00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:02,679 Speaker 5: at ninety nine percent. Is not perfect, but it's as 502 00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:04,560 Speaker 5: perfect as you can get when you're hiring people. If 503 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:08,120 Speaker 5: anybody's ever hired anybody, it's tough to do. You sit 504 00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:12,280 Speaker 5: there and you go. They have the unbelievable group of 505 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:17,359 Speaker 5: people put together pushing in the right direction. Unselfish. Pittsburgh 506 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:19,719 Speaker 5: wasn't one hundred percent on that, and I think if 507 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:21,640 Speaker 5: we had ask, if Neil was still on, I think 508 00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:24,360 Speaker 5: he would agree with me. They didn't hit it one 509 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:26,480 Speaker 5: hundred percent of the time. And I think some of 510 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:29,920 Speaker 5: those people that were in the minor league system were 511 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:33,440 Speaker 5: there for themselves. They were using as a stepping stone. 512 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:39,439 Speaker 5: And the Guardians now do it incredible. It's a really selfish, 513 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:44,880 Speaker 5: unselfish group of people that selfishly wants something for other 514 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:48,399 Speaker 5: people like it's it's really amazing, and the Guardians do 515 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:51,960 Speaker 5: an awesome job of it. Yeah, they create good players 516 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:52,560 Speaker 5: and good people. 517 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:57,280 Speaker 7: You played a little Pittsburgh time at the finish line 518 00:26:57,440 --> 00:26:58,359 Speaker 7: nineteen nineteen. 519 00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:01,080 Speaker 6: Yeah, an experience. 520 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:02,880 Speaker 5: Not a happy not a not a happy experience. 521 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:05,439 Speaker 3: You were spoiled, you pay on some teams and really 522 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 3: took care of the boys. 523 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:10,440 Speaker 7: Listen, I wasn't I wasn't hitting well, don't get me wrong. 524 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:13,399 Speaker 7: I was batting I think under one hundred if you 525 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:16,639 Speaker 7: want the truth, and thirty at bats right, and then 526 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:19,120 Speaker 7: I went two for four. We had an off day 527 00:27:19,119 --> 00:27:21,560 Speaker 7: and then they released me and the guy they brought 528 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:22,840 Speaker 7: in was batting under me. 529 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:26,240 Speaker 6: It was batt and lower than what I was. Bad. 530 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:27,080 Speaker 5: I've done it. 531 00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:30,080 Speaker 6: I was like, what is going on there? I mean, 532 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:32,000 Speaker 6: at least give me somebody bat in one thirty or 533 00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:37,720 Speaker 6: so if you had performance bonuses. I had that contract that. 534 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:40,040 Speaker 5: Said it was like sixty. 535 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:42,000 Speaker 6: I think it was like sixty or whatever it is. 536 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:43,560 Speaker 6: I forget what it's called. 537 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:46,399 Speaker 7: They gave me a contract where they said it was 538 00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:48,919 Speaker 7: only for you know, a certain amount of days, and 539 00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:50,680 Speaker 7: then we can decide what we want to do with you. 540 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 7: And nine point nine out of ten times when those 541 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:56,280 Speaker 7: days come up, see you later. They get ready.