WEBVTT - Hot new 1st base defensive metric explained + Alec Burleson joins FT 0:00:08.840 --> 0:00:13.840 Let's get in the weeds. Nerdler nerds unite new stat 0:00:13.920 --> 0:00:18.520 out which first baseman is best at receiving throws. Our 0:00:18.600 --> 0:00:21.680 friends at Baseball Savant has new data to show that, 0:00:21.760 --> 0:00:25.000 and it's Alec Burleson, who's in his first full season 0:00:25.440 --> 0:00:27.840 at first base with the Saint Louis Cardinals. He is 0:00:28.000 --> 0:00:32.479 leading and receiving outs above average over guys such as 0:00:32.520 --> 0:00:36.240 Freddy Freeman Matt Olsen. This stuff I haven't really gotten 0:00:36.280 --> 0:00:39.160 to dive in too much yet, but when you're looking 0:00:39.200 --> 0:00:43.199 at how first basemen are perceived in the game, I mean, 0:00:43.320 --> 0:00:46.360 Alec Burlson is dealing with a legit middle infield and 0:00:46.400 --> 0:00:49.120 Mason win JJ weatherhole. I certainly don't want to be 0:00:49.120 --> 0:00:53.320 behind Mason Wins triple digit throws to first. This is cool, though, 0:00:53.360 --> 0:00:55.280 because I think we're able to give first basement a 0:00:55.320 --> 0:00:58.680 little more love. Obviously, you see Freddy Freeman Matt Olsen 0:00:59.160 --> 0:01:02.800 over the last five years their value in just receiving throws. 0:01:02.840 --> 0:01:05.200 But Alec Berlson is certainly making a name for himself 0:01:05.240 --> 0:01:07.560 as one of the up and coming first basemen. 0:01:07.520 --> 0:01:08.320 In the league. 0:01:09.200 --> 0:01:11.800 You guys have played some first base, as we've talked 0:01:11.840 --> 0:01:16.600 about some experienced first baseman up in this chat, Kratsi'll 0:01:16.640 --> 0:01:20.319 start with you, how hard is it to play first? 0:01:20.319 --> 0:01:21.760 And how great is it to see a stat that 0:01:21.840 --> 0:01:23.680 kind of shows that to the casual fan. 0:01:25.440 --> 0:01:27.640 You know, I don't know that the stats shows it 0:01:27.680 --> 0:01:30.360 to the casual fan, because we're making stats. Like when 0:01:30.360 --> 0:01:32.640 you start looking down the list, one of the things 0:01:32.640 --> 0:01:35.440 that you don't remember is the fact that Freddie Freeman 0:01:35.520 --> 0:01:39.640 and Matt Olson play every freaking day, and so to 0:01:39.720 --> 0:01:42.480 have that much of a gap, it's a new stat. 0:01:42.880 --> 0:01:45.760 I wouldn't disagree with the stat. As most stats, I 0:01:45.840 --> 0:01:48.640 rarely see him and I go I never would have 0:01:48.720 --> 0:01:51.680 thought that Freddy Freeman was that good. I never would 0:01:51.680 --> 0:01:55.120 have thought that Matt Olsen was that good. Like you 0:01:55.240 --> 0:02:00.520 know that the eye test tells you that, yes, they're good, 0:02:01.160 --> 0:02:05.160 but the number test also confirms it. So you know, 0:02:05.200 --> 0:02:08.520 that's because I don't understand exactly. 0:02:08.600 --> 0:02:09.240 I do get it. 0:02:09.280 --> 0:02:11.680 How it's like you know where the ball is and 0:02:11.720 --> 0:02:14.240 you're making to catch all that stuff. I can tell 0:02:14.280 --> 0:02:16.359 you who some of the best are, and I can 0:02:16.360 --> 0:02:19.440 tell you who looks like they're, you know, kind of 0:02:19.480 --> 0:02:22.320 struggling out there. But how hard first base is? That 0:02:22.400 --> 0:02:25.399 was the first thing that you said, first base. As 0:02:25.480 --> 0:02:31.440 Ron Washington's character said in Moneyball, it's not that easy. 0:02:31.639 --> 0:02:34.680 And I think a lot of teams pay the price 0:02:34.880 --> 0:02:39.400 for thinking that first base is easy. The Mets and 0:02:39.480 --> 0:02:42.200 they just go ahead and put someone else over there. 0:02:42.800 --> 0:02:46.160 But I think teams that want to win kind of 0:02:46.200 --> 0:02:48.959 devalue this a little bit and just throw whoever over there. 0:02:50.639 --> 0:02:55.840 Terrifying first base is absolutely terrifying. These guys hit the 0:02:55.880 --> 0:02:58.120 ball so hard, and for me to be an outfield like, 0:02:58.160 --> 0:03:00.600 they hit the balls hard to me and right field, 0:03:01.160 --> 0:03:03.480 and fortunately I never got one hit on the bullet 0:03:03.560 --> 0:03:07.119 right at me. But man, the way infielders throw the baseball, 0:03:07.160 --> 0:03:09.839 baseball is aren't supposed to move like that. I took 0:03:09.880 --> 0:03:13.519 a throw from Carlos Korea that moved probably six feet 0:03:14.400 --> 0:03:16.440 from left to right or right to left, I guess 0:03:16.440 --> 0:03:19.359 it'll be from my perspective, and I was just blown 0:03:19.400 --> 0:03:21.680 away by it. So it takes a special breed to 0:03:21.720 --> 0:03:24.440 stand over there and and and show the real meaning 0:03:24.480 --> 0:03:27.840 of a first baseman. And I'm probably the farthest person 0:03:27.840 --> 0:03:32.239 away from this, this nerd knowledge of baseball, but with 0:03:32.440 --> 0:03:35.640 player perspective, we understand how it works. We just can't 0:03:35.680 --> 0:03:39.600 speak the nerd talk. So like Cratzy talked about range, 0:03:39.760 --> 0:03:41.960 how he picks the ball where it has and the 0:03:42.120 --> 0:03:44.520 you know, the body of where he's comfortable, how to 0:03:44.520 --> 0:03:46.920 how hot does he get. We understand those things. I 0:03:46.920 --> 0:03:48.440 can't just break him down for you. So I know 0:03:48.520 --> 0:03:51.640 guys like playing against Mattelson, watching him come up in 0:03:51.680 --> 0:03:54.760 the in the athletics organization, I knew he was going 0:03:54.800 --> 0:03:57.720 to be a fantastically defensed, a good defensive first baseman. 0:03:58.360 --> 0:04:00.480 Watching Freddie, and Freddie's been in the league for so long, 0:04:00.560 --> 0:04:03.120 everybody sees it because he's been easily one of the 0:04:03.160 --> 0:04:05.480 best first basemen in the last twenty years to play 0:04:05.560 --> 0:04:08.560 the game in baseball, legit Hall of Famer. So you 0:04:08.600 --> 0:04:10.880 see these guys every day and you understand what they 0:04:10.920 --> 0:04:14.160 can do. But I can't put it into an algorithm 0:04:14.160 --> 0:04:16.080 and speak to things like we're looking at you know, 0:04:16.080 --> 0:04:19.279 we see on the panel. So these guys makes perfect sense. 0:04:19.320 --> 0:04:21.359 And you look at guys like Christian Walker, who's up 0:04:21.400 --> 0:04:23.760 there as well. Julie Gurioh who's not even in the 0:04:23.760 --> 0:04:25.320 game is one of the top lists. Having to play 0:04:25.360 --> 0:04:27.440 with him was a lot of fun as well. So 0:04:27.680 --> 0:04:30.680 you get to appreciate those guys as a player, But yes, 0:04:30.720 --> 0:04:33.120 I think they can go very undervalued in this game 0:04:33.160 --> 0:04:36.719 because plays they make may not make the scorebook or 0:04:36.720 --> 0:04:39.919 the jumbo tron. But baseball guys know the moves and 0:04:39.960 --> 0:04:41.920 plays they make save baseball games. 0:04:42.880 --> 0:04:47.039 And rarely as a shortstop or a second basement. A 0:04:47.040 --> 0:04:49.480 third baseman winning a Gold Glove with a brutal first 0:04:49.520 --> 0:04:52.480 baseman usually they go hand in hand. Even though the 0:04:52.480 --> 0:04:55.440 first baseman may not win that gold Glove, he's over 0:04:55.480 --> 0:04:59.880 there picking a lot of mistake or some mistakes that 0:05:00.200 --> 0:05:02.360 the best shortstops make. I mean, I was on the 0:05:02.400 --> 0:05:06.800 team when Jimmy Rollins won a Gold Glove. Jimmy Rollins 0:05:07.160 --> 0:05:11.400 in practice, he would rarely throw a ball that would bounce. 0:05:11.920 --> 0:05:15.359 When I'll see this Escobar was playing shortstop, I worked 0:05:15.600 --> 0:05:19.520 out a lot at first base because Salvador Perez would 0:05:20.080 --> 0:05:22.160 never take a day off. So I'm like, okay, well, 0:05:22.160 --> 0:05:24.479 if they need somebody, I would be able to step 0:05:24.520 --> 0:05:26.440 in there. So I had to be ready. I'll see 0:05:26.480 --> 0:05:29.800 this Escobar. Every ball he would throw in practice right 0:05:29.880 --> 0:05:32.240 to my chest, right to my chest, so when the 0:05:32.320 --> 0:05:35.279 ball did get bounced, it was rare, and you need 0:05:35.279 --> 0:05:37.760 that first basement, like an Eric Hosmer who's able to 0:05:37.800 --> 0:05:42.640 pick that ball. But Josh said, he said, it's terrifying. 0:05:43.279 --> 0:05:46.120 I was in spring training and in spring training and surprise, 0:05:46.720 --> 0:05:49.160 as the Royals, you always play the Rangers. Well at 0:05:49.160 --> 0:05:53.080 that point in twenty fifteen, the Rangers had Prince Fielder 0:05:53.279 --> 0:05:56.480 and I go. It was bases loaded towards the end 0:05:56.520 --> 0:05:58.480 of the game spring training. It was a night game 0:05:58.520 --> 0:06:02.040 two and they go the bench coach. I look right 0:06:02.080 --> 0:06:04.320 into the I look right into the dugout, and the 0:06:04.360 --> 0:06:08.919 bench coach goes, hey, hey, grit, grit, play in, like 0:06:09.120 --> 0:06:10.040 we want you to play in. 0:06:10.480 --> 0:06:13.720 Prince Fielder was up. I was like, you play in. 0:06:14.000 --> 0:06:16.280 I'm gonna play right here there in no way I'm 0:06:16.320 --> 0:06:19.480 taking a snaphook from Prince field Er like it's gonna 0:06:19.480 --> 0:06:21.719 get to me quick. I got a good arm, I'll 0:06:21.720 --> 0:06:23.080 be able to throw it. I'll get the force out 0:06:23.120 --> 0:06:25.520 at the plate if you But I'm I'm living to face. 0:06:25.920 --> 0:06:28.960 I'm living to see that that b game on on 0:06:29.120 --> 0:06:32.400 field seven tomorrow. I am not taking a line drive 0:06:33.080 --> 0:06:37.000 off my shinberger here in spring training game. 0:06:37.320 --> 0:06:41.359 Not gonna have no definitely not all right, guys, So 0:06:41.560 --> 0:06:44.440 you've been through a lot of different eras of this game. 0:06:44.560 --> 0:06:47.000 I think, you know, back in the day, first base 0:06:47.160 --> 0:06:50.640 was your your left handed kind of bigger guy, power position. 0:06:51.520 --> 0:06:54.240 It doesn't seem like teams are valuing first base and 0:06:54.440 --> 0:06:57.719 their first basement with that specific mold anymore. Josh, I'll 0:06:57.720 --> 0:06:59.880 start with you. Are you seeing a change in how 0:07:00.040 --> 0:07:02.839 first basement are evaluated internally and the kind of player 0:07:02.880 --> 0:07:04.039 teams are looking for there? 0:07:05.760 --> 0:07:07.359 Yeah, I mean, I think it just goes back to it, 0:07:07.360 --> 0:07:09.120 and it's not just first base. You see a lot 0:07:09.120 --> 0:07:11.680 of route of while the players, guys that struggle middle 0:07:11.760 --> 0:07:13.920 infield gets shoved to the outfield just to keep them 0:07:13.920 --> 0:07:15.400 out there and keep their bat in the lineup. So 0:07:15.400 --> 0:07:17.679 I think that's probably more of the bigger pictures. Guys 0:07:17.800 --> 0:07:20.840 just have a more valuable bat to be put in 0:07:20.880 --> 0:07:23.720 a position that's not as important to them. I guess 0:07:23.800 --> 0:07:25.200 to break it down and be the best way. And 0:07:25.600 --> 0:07:27.880 if we can keep this guy in the field, he's 0:07:27.920 --> 0:07:29.600 going to drive in more runs and he's going to 0:07:29.680 --> 0:07:32.800 say for us at first base anyway, So in their 0:07:32.840 --> 0:07:35.840 heads it really works out for him in that perspective. 0:07:35.880 --> 0:07:39.000 But yeah, like I said, just the underappreciation for this 0:07:39.080 --> 0:07:42.320 position just keeps falling, and it makes you really appreciate 0:07:42.760 --> 0:07:45.600 those really really elite guys who can play over there 0:07:45.640 --> 0:07:47.720 and hit the ball at the same time, like Freeman 0:07:47.760 --> 0:07:48.640 and like Mattlson. 0:07:50.400 --> 0:07:53.280 So much gets muddled. So much gets muddled with value 0:07:53.320 --> 0:07:57.520 of players. Teams are afraid to pay, you know, do 0:07:57.600 --> 0:08:01.200 the Ruben Tomorrow mistake of giving Ryan Howard the money, 0:08:01.240 --> 0:08:03.640 which I don't think is a mistake, like you give 0:08:03.680 --> 0:08:06.240 a guy that absolutely bangs when you didn't have the 0:08:06.320 --> 0:08:10.280 DH that kind of cash. But throughout history, you know, 0:08:10.360 --> 0:08:13.320 you look at the most valuable players that played first base. 0:08:14.200 --> 0:08:18.640 It's kind of like relievers. How relievers are failed starters. 0:08:19.720 --> 0:08:23.160 Very few guys come up as first baseman. Very few 0:08:23.200 --> 0:08:25.880 guys are like, yeah, you know what I'm gonna I'm 0:08:25.920 --> 0:08:28.440 gonna always be a first basement in the bigleyes. Usually 0:08:28.440 --> 0:08:30.280 they're a left field or that moves to first and 0:08:30.360 --> 0:08:33.040 learns it and then they hit one hundred thousand home runs. 0:08:33.559 --> 0:08:36.200 Like that's the kind of thing that some teams view 0:08:36.200 --> 0:08:38.520 it that way. But then you also have, you know, 0:08:38.559 --> 0:08:42.679 your guys who are the greatest defensive first basemans of 0:08:42.720 --> 0:08:46.880 all time. And forgetting my buddy's name, I am such 0:08:46.880 --> 0:08:49.679 a bad friend, but I mean a Keith Hernandez he 0:08:49.800 --> 0:08:51.559 used to I mean, I'm not sure how many gold 0:08:51.559 --> 0:08:57.840 gloves he had. Now in the game, you have a man. 0:08:57.880 --> 0:09:00.960 I am just blanking on all names. But either way, 0:09:01.200 --> 0:09:04.920 like names like Mark m maguire played first base, Eddie 0:09:05.000 --> 0:09:07.800 Murray played first base, Todd Helton played first base, like 0:09:07.880 --> 0:09:12.800 guys who banged, and then they learned to play the position, 0:09:12.960 --> 0:09:16.480 and the better ones play there defensively. So it's not 0:09:17.360 --> 0:09:20.200 it's it's not one size fits all, but I think 0:09:20.200 --> 0:09:22.280 there's a value there, and I think the stat could 0:09:22.360 --> 0:09:24.920 probably give teams more value in different ways. 0:09:26.360 --> 0:09:26.960 And let's you. 0:09:26.960 --> 0:09:30.079 Guys make a great point about the value because Alec Burlson, 0:09:30.160 --> 0:09:32.520 again this year's leader, is probably one of the more 0:09:32.640 --> 0:09:35.360 undervalued players in all of baseball, and he is actually 0:09:35.400 --> 0:09:38.840 one of the more undervalued Cardinals up until this season. 0:09:38.880 --> 0:09:40.400 I mean, this was a guy that came up through 0:09:40.400 --> 0:09:42.920 the Cardinals system and when Saint Louis was doing their 0:09:42.960 --> 0:09:45.480 weird transition year, like, yes, we're trying to contend, but 0:09:45.520 --> 0:09:48.000 also like player development at the same time, let's do both. 0:09:48.280 --> 0:09:50.920 It was Burlison who saw the majority of his playing 0:09:50.960 --> 0:09:54.400 time cut so the Cardinals could prioritize the Nolan Gorman's 0:09:54.440 --> 0:09:58.800 and the Jordan Walkers, even though Burlison was outperforming those guys, 0:09:59.000 --> 0:10:01.079 and he just kind of kind of warrant. And we'll 0:10:01.120 --> 0:10:03.320 we'll hear from Alec Burlson later in the show. But 0:10:03.600 --> 0:10:06.480 you talk about someone who's been undervalue throughout his career, 0:10:06.520 --> 0:10:10.200 even perhaps by his own organization, Burlson comes to front 0:10:10.200 --> 0:10:12.920 of mind. Very cool to see him getting some credit 0:10:13.000 --> 0:10:15.760 here defensively. Also what he's been doing for a very 0:10:15.760 --> 0:10:17.319 surprising Cardinal squad this year. 0:10:17.440 --> 0:10:21.200 Been good to see ye one percent. 0:10:21.760 --> 0:10:24.160 And they probably could have saved some money had they 0:10:24.200 --> 0:10:28.800 not gone out and signed Wilson Contreras and said, okay, 0:10:28.800 --> 0:10:31.360 you got to play first base. They just they just 0:10:31.480 --> 0:10:34.559 poorly evaluated what type of catcher Wilson was, so they 0:10:34.600 --> 0:10:37.320 had to put him and his bat somewhere. You see 0:10:37.320 --> 0:10:39.960 the value he's bringing for the Red Sox now, And 0:10:40.000 --> 0:10:42.560 that's what I feel like the last few years under Mow, 0:10:42.760 --> 0:10:46.840 his last few seasons as a general manager, it felt 0:10:46.880 --> 0:10:49.760 like there was a lot of miscast players that were 0:10:49.760 --> 0:10:52.480 never getting that consistent every day at bat at a 0:10:52.480 --> 0:10:55.800 certain position, or they were doing well, got sent down. 0:10:55.880 --> 0:10:59.120 They were doing poorly, moved position to position, and it's 0:10:59.160 --> 0:11:01.240 good to see a young guy. I like this being 0:11:01.280 --> 0:11:05.200 able to solidify himself at one position and helping the 0:11:05.240 --> 0:11:11.600 team throughout the entire season. One of the things that 0:11:11.640 --> 0:11:14.760 I wasn't very good at, well, it's playing Major League Baseball. 0:11:15.200 --> 0:11:17.720 One of the things that I'm really good at is sweating. 0:11:18.040 --> 0:11:22.280 Even now when I'm not playing, I need hydration. I 0:11:22.400 --> 0:11:26.079 need to make sure it's convenient. That's why I choose Quints. 0:11:26.720 --> 0:11:30.160 Yep Quint's electrolyade stick packs to the rescue Kratz. They 0:11:30.240 --> 0:11:33.360 taste great and the zero sugar options are Stevia free. 0:11:33.440 --> 0:11:36.840 They're Keto approved, naturally sweetened with fermented rice, and like 0:11:36.920 --> 0:11:39.839 everything Quince does, they're thoughtfully made and priced well. At 0:11:39.840 --> 0:11:42.640 twenty dollars for thirty servings, they're less than half of 0:11:42.679 --> 0:11:45.400 the leading brand. Give your body what it really needs 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:48.400 to stay hydrated. Go to Quints dot com slash foul 0:11:48.520 --> 0:11:51.000 for free shipping on your order and three sixty five 0:11:51.080 --> 0:11:56.320 day returns. That's qui Ncee dot com slash foul for 0:11:56.400 --> 0:11:59.120 free shipping in three sixty five day returns. Quinns dot 0:11:59.120 --> 0:12:02.079 com slash. These statements have not been evaluated by the 0:12:02.080 --> 0:12:05.240 Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, 0:12:05.240 --> 0:12:07.400 street cure or prevent any disease. 0:12:18.960 --> 0:12:23.320 Welcome back to foul Territory. Our next guest is Saint 0:12:23.360 --> 0:12:27.320 Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burlison, kind enough to join 0:12:27.440 --> 0:12:31.280 us before a key series against the Phillies in Philadelphia. Burley, 0:12:31.400 --> 0:12:33.439 bet you thought you'd seen the last of me. Thanks 0:12:33.440 --> 0:12:34.920 so much for joining the show. 0:12:35.000 --> 0:12:38.720 How are you today? I'm doing well, Katie. Thanks for 0:12:38.720 --> 0:12:39.160 having me. 0:12:40.240 --> 0:12:41.920 All right, let's just get right into it. Your ball 0:12:41.920 --> 0:12:44.600 club has played some real good ball and there it 0:12:44.640 --> 0:12:46.920 seems like every week I'm hearing something new about the 0:12:46.920 --> 0:12:49.600 Saint Louis Cardinals, new guy coming up. We just saw 0:12:49.640 --> 0:12:53.320 what Joshua Bias did and his historic debut. You've come 0:12:53.400 --> 0:12:56.920 up through the Cardinals system. What is different this year 0:12:56.960 --> 0:12:59.960 with this young core than we saw in seasons prior. 0:13:02.040 --> 0:13:05.040 Yeah, I think the big thing is but we're just 0:13:05.080 --> 0:13:07.880 having a lot of fun. I think obviously we want 0:13:07.880 --> 0:13:08.760 to win every game, but. 0:13:10.240 --> 0:13:10.840 You know, our. 0:13:10.679 --> 0:13:13.840 Expectations are to come to the field and put ourselves 0:13:13.880 --> 0:13:17.000 in the best position to have success. And you know, 0:13:17.080 --> 0:13:19.960 let the wins and losses kind of uh, you know, 0:13:20.000 --> 0:13:20.960 take care of themselves. 0:13:21.000 --> 0:13:24.239 So it's a really fun group. It's a really fun clubhouse. 0:13:25.320 --> 0:13:28.600 I've I've enjoyed the season a lot and looking forward 0:13:28.640 --> 0:13:31.080 to what we can do here down down the stretch. 0:13:32.520 --> 0:13:34.360 Is it more fun than other years or is it 0:13:34.400 --> 0:13:36.080 just more fun because you're winning more? 0:13:39.559 --> 0:13:42.760 I mean, obviously winning probably contributes to that, but. 0:13:44.679 --> 0:13:49.280 No, I just think with the young guys, like it's 0:13:49.480 --> 0:13:51.040 it's definitely weird being the older guy. 0:13:50.880 --> 0:13:52.040 In the locker room, I'll tell you that. 0:13:52.080 --> 0:13:58.040 But you know, everybody is enjoys being around each other. 0:13:59.400 --> 0:14:02.320 You know, we're having fun together away from the field, 0:14:02.440 --> 0:14:07.120 so and you know, like you said, winning probably contributes 0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:10.079 to that. But you know, it's just a really good group. 0:14:10.120 --> 0:14:11.800 And really enjoyed this group a lot. 0:14:15.360 --> 0:14:15.600 Yeah. 0:14:15.679 --> 0:14:17.520 Yeah, Like I just want to talk about you know, 0:14:17.760 --> 0:14:20.720 you've made the shift to first base, which Arion Cratzy 0:14:20.720 --> 0:14:23.480 and I talked about earlier about how terrifying it is 0:14:24.120 --> 0:14:26.600 for guys to play over there. Then some guys are 0:14:26.640 --> 0:14:30.400 just naturally gifted over there. How hard or easy for 0:14:30.440 --> 0:14:33.400 you was that transition going to the outfield to first 0:14:33.400 --> 0:14:35.720 base and not only just playing first base. But man, 0:14:36.240 --> 0:14:38.920 you're a fantastic first basement obviously, at the top of 0:14:38.960 --> 0:14:40.560 the list in the league of first basement, So can 0:14:40.600 --> 0:14:41.480 you tell us about that. 0:14:43.040 --> 0:14:45.280 Yeah, so I grew up playing first base, like that's 0:14:45.280 --> 0:14:49.840 where I played, you know, growing up, and then kind 0:14:49.880 --> 0:14:53.360 of all the way through college I played mostly first base, 0:14:53.400 --> 0:14:56.120 and then when I got drafted by the Cardinals, they 0:14:56.200 --> 0:14:59.760 drafted me as an outfielder, and you know, played all 0:14:59.760 --> 0:15:01.760 out through the miners and then didn't play a game 0:15:02.000 --> 0:15:04.040 at first base in my professional career till I got 0:15:04.040 --> 0:15:04.640 to the big league. 0:15:04.680 --> 0:15:08.200 So you know, I'm pretty comfortable over there. 0:15:08.200 --> 0:15:11.720 Obviously, you know, college or high school first base is 0:15:11.760 --> 0:15:13.560 a little bit different than the big league first base, 0:15:13.640 --> 0:15:16.640 so that took some adjusting. But you know, once I 0:15:16.640 --> 0:15:19.320 got my feet under me, and you. 0:15:19.240 --> 0:15:20.280 Know, I had a lot of good guys. 0:15:20.320 --> 0:15:23.080 Obviously Goldie was around him for a couple of years, 0:15:23.120 --> 0:15:25.640 and then you know, Wilson last year he was pretty 0:15:25.640 --> 0:15:25.960 good over. 0:15:25.920 --> 0:15:26.520 There too, So. 0:15:28.600 --> 0:15:31.320 You know, once I got comfortable and obviously been around 0:15:31.320 --> 0:15:35.320 this these guys on the infield with Mason and JJ, 0:15:35.920 --> 0:15:39.160 been around them a lot, and you know, know how they. 0:15:39.000 --> 0:15:42.160 Operate, so it's it gets a little bit easier, but yeah, 0:15:42.200 --> 0:15:43.760 I love being on the in field with those. 0:15:43.640 --> 0:15:48.400 Guys early, with with those maybe unfamiliar with your early 0:15:48.600 --> 0:15:52.800 Cardinals lore. I think you wrapped it up pretty concisely there. 0:15:53.200 --> 0:15:55.400 There was a lot of maybe back and forth on 0:15:55.440 --> 0:15:58.200 what was best for your development and your early seasons, 0:15:58.240 --> 0:16:00.720 and even up to last year with the Cardinals going 0:16:00.720 --> 0:16:03.320 through that transition season, it was you who saw your 0:16:03.320 --> 0:16:05.800 playing time cut early on, despite you being one of 0:16:05.800 --> 0:16:08.240 the better performers out there. And I remember a conversation 0:16:08.360 --> 0:16:11.480 we had in Milwaukee last year about that where you 0:16:11.480 --> 0:16:13.200 were like, it's going to work out in my favor. 0:16:13.240 --> 0:16:15.160 I just have to trust the process here and trust 0:16:15.200 --> 0:16:17.760 this organization, and to your credit, you did that. Not 0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:19.440 a lot of guys would have been able to handle 0:16:19.480 --> 0:16:22.000 that grace in which you did. And you're seeing the 0:16:22.040 --> 0:16:25.120 rewards here, the number one receiving first baseman in all 0:16:25.160 --> 0:16:28.560 of baseball, the starting first baseman for the Cardinals, and 0:16:28.800 --> 0:16:30.880 seeing just a lot of success and being one of 0:16:30.920 --> 0:16:34.080 those franchise spaces that hein Bluem and Ollie Marmele had 0:16:34.080 --> 0:16:36.600 hoped to kind of establish this year. What has been 0:16:36.680 --> 0:16:39.840 really fun and rewarding for you personally, about this season 0:16:39.880 --> 0:16:41.160 given what you went through early on. 0:16:43.400 --> 0:16:44.960 Yeah, I mean, kind of like you said, I. 0:16:47.000 --> 0:16:48.440 You know, I think coming up through the minors as 0:16:48.440 --> 0:16:49.840 an outfielder, I don't know if I get to the 0:16:49.840 --> 0:16:53.880 big leagues, you know, as quickly as I did. Obviously 0:16:53.880 --> 0:16:56.520 there was Goldie there for a few years, so I 0:16:56.640 --> 0:16:58.640 don't know if there was a need for first basement 0:16:58.680 --> 0:17:02.480 at the time. So you know, I think that was 0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:05.760 my quickest route to the big leagues. 0:17:05.800 --> 0:17:07.320 And you know, it wasn't pretty out there. 0:17:07.400 --> 0:17:09.600 You saw it like the outfield, if I could get 0:17:09.600 --> 0:17:10.800 to it, I was gonna catch it. 0:17:10.880 --> 0:17:15.000 But the problem was getting to the balls. So you 0:17:15.000 --> 0:17:16.680 know I did. I did. Okay, I'll give myself a 0:17:16.680 --> 0:17:17.960 little bit of credit in the outfield, but. 0:17:19.560 --> 0:17:22.200 Yeah, kind of like you said, uh, just kind of 0:17:22.240 --> 0:17:27.960 sticking to the process, understanding that you know, I just 0:17:28.000 --> 0:17:29.520 wanted to do whatever I needed to do to be 0:17:29.560 --> 0:17:32.399 in the lineup every day, whether that was you know, 0:17:32.440 --> 0:17:35.679 play the outfield, d h uh, and then you know, 0:17:35.760 --> 0:17:38.119 fill in at first base whenever, whenever that was needed. 0:17:38.160 --> 0:17:41.160 So you know, for me, I'm just. 0:17:41.119 --> 0:17:43.840 Glad that I kind of stuck to that and you know, 0:17:43.920 --> 0:17:44.879 didn't kind. 0:17:44.720 --> 0:17:46.400 Of throw my hands up and be like why, why 0:17:46.520 --> 0:17:47.600 why am I in this situation? 0:17:47.760 --> 0:17:51.000 And but you know, with the Cardinals, like they did 0:17:51.040 --> 0:17:54.359 a great job of uh, you know, communicating and telling 0:17:54.359 --> 0:17:57.000 me what was going on. And then you know, obviously, 0:17:58.359 --> 0:18:01.439 you know, this year, first base was was mine for 0:18:03.400 --> 0:18:05.240 you know, mine for the taking. So I decided to 0:18:05.600 --> 0:18:09.399 really hone in on that skill. And so yeah, it 0:18:09.720 --> 0:18:12.160 all worked out in the end, but you know, still 0:18:12.160 --> 0:18:13.200 got some work to do for sure. 0:18:14.359 --> 0:18:18.840 Does playing a different position change how you're at bats? 0:18:18.880 --> 0:18:18.960 Go? 0:18:19.720 --> 0:18:22.720 We we try as big leaguers to not take our 0:18:22.760 --> 0:18:26.919 defense to our offense, our offense to our defense, but 0:18:27.000 --> 0:18:29.280 be honest, Like, you came up as a first baseman. 0:18:29.359 --> 0:18:32.720 You said it, and they were like, hey, you got drafted, boom, 0:18:32.800 --> 0:18:35.080 you're an outfit. You're like, okay, well I guess I 0:18:35.080 --> 0:18:37.159 can hit here now you're in the big leagues. And 0:18:37.160 --> 0:18:42.119 you're like, all right, well, okay, this doesn't honestly affect 0:18:42.200 --> 0:18:42.840 your offense. 0:18:45.520 --> 0:18:49.639 Yeah, I found that when I played the outfield, I 0:18:50.480 --> 0:18:53.520 thought about my bats a lot because there's nobody else 0:18:53.680 --> 0:18:54.919 out there to really talk to. 0:18:54.920 --> 0:18:57.160 You're kind of out there on your own. And then 0:18:58.840 --> 0:19:00.320 you know, once you get the first base, like. 0:19:00.240 --> 0:19:04.119 You're in every play, You're you're always you know, if 0:19:04.119 --> 0:19:05.640 you're holding a guy on like you're in the game, 0:19:05.680 --> 0:19:09.680 you can't think about your bet. So and then obviously, 0:19:09.760 --> 0:19:11.040 d H, I had all the time in the world 0:19:11.119 --> 0:19:14.000 to think about my bet. So, yeah, playing first base 0:19:14.040 --> 0:19:18.000 allows me to kind of, you know, free my mind and. 0:19:18.080 --> 0:19:18.600 Front from it. 0:19:18.680 --> 0:19:23.440 Bats and you know, flush whatever happened or positive or negative, 0:19:23.440 --> 0:19:26.400 and then you know, just just separate the two. 0:19:26.440 --> 0:19:28.440 But yeah, in the outfield, I found. 0:19:28.240 --> 0:19:31.280 Myself a little bit more frustrated, just because you know, 0:19:31.600 --> 0:19:33.399 you've just got so much time to think out there, 0:19:33.480 --> 0:19:36.640 and you know, you try your best, but yeah, first 0:19:36.680 --> 0:19:38.200 base makes that a lot easier. 0:19:39.440 --> 0:19:43.320 And Josh said, it's a shorter run between the dugout 0:19:43.359 --> 0:19:46.320 the first too, so I can I can appreciate that. Yeah, 0:19:46.320 --> 0:19:48.560 I can appreciate that too. You know, your legs are 0:19:48.560 --> 0:19:50.679 feeling good. But you've mentioned it, you've kind of clazed 0:19:50.720 --> 0:19:53.879 over it twice. You said nobody had talked to out there, 0:19:54.400 --> 0:19:57.359 and you said, I really enjoyed playing with Mason and 0:19:57.440 --> 0:19:58.640 jj on the infield. 0:19:59.119 --> 0:20:02.040 So is there like, are you a chatty Kathy out there? 0:20:02.240 --> 0:20:04.720 Or is there like, do you guys play games where 0:20:04.760 --> 0:20:07.719 like JJ sees the pitch and you're like, you hear 0:20:07.800 --> 0:20:10.840 him go and you're like, oh boy, here comes a 0:20:10.960 --> 0:20:13.919 change up. Like are there things inside the game that 0:20:14.000 --> 0:20:16.840 you guys are all like playing back and forth off 0:20:16.840 --> 0:20:17.240 each other. 0:20:19.400 --> 0:20:24.200 Yeah, there's definitely some secrets I'm not gonna share, but yeah, 0:20:24.560 --> 0:20:28.240 I definitely. You know, somebody gets on first base, I'm talking. 0:20:27.920 --> 0:20:30.800