1 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:08,959 Speaker 1: What's up everybody? Welcome into another edition of Crush City Territory. 2 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:11,639 Speaker 1: I'm Chandler Room, joined us always by Tyler Stafford and 3 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: a very special guest today, the new director of player 4 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:18,320 Speaker 1: Development for the Houston Astros, Sam Needorf. Sam, You've been 5 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: on the job for about a month, month and a 6 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 1: half now. Have things settled down a little bit for you? 7 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: Are you able to take a deep breath or are 8 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 1: things still coming at you one hundred thousand miles an hour. 9 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, the fire hose has turned on, for sure. It's 10 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 2: been a busy five weeks to say the least. The 11 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:39,200 Speaker 2: staff here has been been great. Really the first five 12 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:41,599 Speaker 2: weeks has been trying to understand our our coaches, our 13 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:45,199 Speaker 2: players out here in West Palm right now at our 14 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 2: January camp. So busy to say the least, but productive 15 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 2: and again trying to understand kind of what we do 16 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 2: and what has made us good the past couple of years. 17 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 1: So you're in you're in West Palm right now for 18 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 1: January camp. Kind of since you've taking the job. Kind 19 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 1: of what have been your priorities in terms of you know, traveling, 20 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 1: have you been Have you been to Latin America to 21 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 1: some of those complexes, how many times you've been to 22 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: West Palm, kind of give us a little bit of 23 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: a feel of what the first month, month and a 24 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:13,960 Speaker 1: half's been like for you. 25 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean the big part has been connecting with 26 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:19,680 Speaker 2: with staff. That was my primary objective and starting out 27 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 2: this position was trying to meet as many staff as 28 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 2: I could in person. So made a Latin American swing, 29 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 2: went down to the Dominican for a handful of days 30 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 2: and connected with our staff down there, pivoted over to 31 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 2: Puerto Rico to meet with a couple of our coaches 32 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 2: who are currently coaching and winterball down there, and then 33 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:38,039 Speaker 2: down here in West Palm right now where we have 34 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 2: the majority of our staff domestically. So the big part 35 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:43,960 Speaker 2: has been obviously connecting with them. I've talked to most 36 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 2: of all of them on the phone up to this point, 37 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 2: but obviously the more in person conversations the better, So 38 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 2: trying to understand them, trying to understand their motivations, trying 39 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 2: to understand what we do well as an organization, and 40 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 2: what are the potential opportunities we can look to attack. 41 00:01:57,640 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 3: Sam, I'd love for you to just kind of give 42 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 3: a quick CV for everybody of kind of where you know, 43 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 3: I know you're with the Rangers. It kind of give 44 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 3: us a rundown of where you came from and how 45 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 3: you ended up getting this job. 46 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, most recently was with the Rangers for the last 47 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 2: seven years in a myriad of different positions, starting as 48 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 2: basically an intern in twenty nineteen and climbing up to 49 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 2: the assistant Director of Player Development position and then most 50 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 2: recently the Director of Player Development Initiatives and pitching role. Really, 51 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 2: my oversight the past handful of years has been over 52 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:34,800 Speaker 2: the minor league pitching departments. The development of the strategies, 53 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 2: the plans, the procedures, the collaboration amongst different departments. That 54 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 2: was kind of my oversights and you know, really enjoyed it. 55 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 2: Learned a lot obviously from Texas and made a lot 56 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 2: of great friends and hopefully impact a lot of players 57 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 2: along the way, and looking to take a lot of 58 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 2: those tactics here to the job in Houston. 59 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 3: You know, you've you've seen a lot of really good 60 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 3: minor league pitching come up through the Rangers. I don't 61 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 3: know if you've noticed the Astros have been pretty good 62 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 3: at pitching development as well, So you know what I mean, 63 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 3: obviously it's a big promotion, it's exciting, but like what 64 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 3: drew you to this job in particular, I. 65 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 2: Think continue to enhance what's here. You mentioned to Tyler 66 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 2: is there's been a long track record of success on 67 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 2: the pitching side, but more holistically the development side, and 68 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 2: I think, you know, taking in what's in place here, 69 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 2: providing my little twists and turns as we go, I 70 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 2: think we'll only hopefully enhance what we've done here. But 71 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 2: make no mistake about it, this is not a not 72 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 2: a rebuild or not a complete reshuffling of strategies or initiatives. 73 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 2: There's a lot of really good things that are taking 74 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 2: place here, and again, hopefully I can add a twister 75 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 2: turn that continues to enhance what we do and continue 76 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 2: to have us become the forefront of player development in 77 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 2: professional baseball. 78 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: I'm curious, Sam, you know you spent so much time 79 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 1: with the Rangers, and that's a team obviously that sees 80 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 1: the Astros a lot on the major league side, and 81 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: then in the minor leagues. You know that Round Rock 82 00:03:57,600 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: will play sugar Land a good bit like that. There's 83 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 1: some overall out there in terms of you probably saw 84 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 1: a lot of what the Astros have done in PD, 85 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 1: you probably saw a lot of the fruits of their 86 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 1: labor coming through the minor leagues and get into the 87 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 1: big league system. Like how much did that I don't 88 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: want to how much did that help? I guess and 89 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:17,040 Speaker 1: preparing to come into this role. And maybe when you 90 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:19,479 Speaker 1: interviewed with who you interviewed with, you like you at 91 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:23,160 Speaker 1: least had some maybe more intimate knowledge of the system 92 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,160 Speaker 1: and kind of what has been done here. Maybe then 93 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 1: some other candidates who were you know, with other teams 94 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: that that aren't in the American League West and that 95 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: don't play the Astros in the minor leagues a lot. 96 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, No, round Rock and sugar Land, Well, it's like 97 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 2: my license went out there. 98 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: Jim got to play the phone bill. 99 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 2: Round Rock and Sugarland matched up a bunch, Corpus and 100 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 2: Frisco matched up. Actually all four full seasons were matched 101 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 2: up throughout that the last few years. So do have 102 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 2: familiarity with a lot of the players, even some of 103 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:59,159 Speaker 2: the coaches, which which did help. Always impressed by the 104 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 2: physicality of of the player within national system, the style 105 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 2: of play, the way they went about their early work. 106 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 2: There was a lot of things to like. But yes, 107 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 2: definitely have familiarity with the players and coaches over the 108 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 2: past handful of years messing up with them. 109 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 3: This is a listen. You can answer this in five seconds. 110 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 3: It might be a thirty minute answer, and it may 111 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:24,479 Speaker 3: just be a dumb question. But how much of player 112 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:29,920 Speaker 3: development is this system has the good players and they're 113 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 3: just going to be good versus this system creates good players? 114 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 3: Does that make sense? Like if a top prospect goes 115 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:40,680 Speaker 3: to all thirty teams, like, some guys are just going 116 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 3: to be incredible there. You know, there's nothing that you 117 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 3: need to do about that. But what makes a good 118 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:48,799 Speaker 3: system for player development? 119 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:51,799 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's the latter. It's it's the environment we create. 120 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 2: It's the environment and the atmosphere we develop for coaches 121 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 2: and players to get better. That's something that we can control. 122 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,720 Speaker 2: We can't control what comes into the system. That's that's 123 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 2: our amateur scouting, international scouting, professional scouting groups who do 124 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 2: a great job providing us to the players, our coaches, myself, 125 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:10,280 Speaker 2: We can't select who comes in. All we can do 126 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:13,080 Speaker 2: in control is giving them the most positive experience as 127 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:15,479 Speaker 2: we can and ultimately giving them the success to be 128 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:17,919 Speaker 2: the best version of themselves and provide them an environment 129 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:20,159 Speaker 2: that grows them on and off the field. That's what 130 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:22,720 Speaker 2: I've tasked tasked the staff with early on is we 131 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:24,360 Speaker 2: can't control what comes in the door, but we can 132 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 2: control what comes out. And a lot of that is 133 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 2: the inputs we provide every single day to make this 134 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 2: a nurturing and growth, growthful environment for our players to 135 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 2: get better in. 136 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: Sam, if you want to get up and turn the 137 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:38,480 Speaker 1: light on, feel free to feel free to do so. 138 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 1: I don't want you to look like you're talking like 139 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:45,839 Speaker 1: from the Blair Witch Project right now, but if you 140 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 1: want to do that, you can. While if you're going 141 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,040 Speaker 1: to do that, Guys, if you're listening on YouTube, please 142 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:53,160 Speaker 1: like the YouTube video. Remember that really helps us out 143 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:56,160 Speaker 1: a lot. Please just look down, hit the thumbs up 144 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:58,159 Speaker 1: button and like. And remember we are doing the run 145 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 1: to five thousand YouTube subscribers for before pitchers and Catchers 146 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: report to West Palm Beach. So if you're watching this 147 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 1: on YouTube, subscribe to the YouTube channel that helps us out. 148 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 1: A ton had to throw that shameless plug in there, Sam, 149 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: I think there's a lot of people that are wondering 150 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 1: that are watching this and maybe wondering kind of obviously 151 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 1: they heard you come from the Rangers, but maybe more 152 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:20,120 Speaker 1: than that, like way back kind of how you got 153 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 1: into baseball? I know you you went to the University 154 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 1: of Minnesota. Correct, not exactly. I wouldn't call them a 155 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:31,160 Speaker 1: baseball hotbed kind of how how did you kind of 156 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 1: make your your your start maybe in high school and 157 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 1: then when you get to University of Minnesota kind of 158 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 1: how did you fall in love with this sport and 159 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 1: how did you become how did you get to where 160 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: this wanted to be your livelihood. 161 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, baseball does not run in my family by any means. 162 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 2: Mom and dad and other family members or not athletic 163 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 2: and do not have any athletic prowess. I picked up 164 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 2: a liking to baseball really when I was in like 165 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 2: the three to five year year old range and just 166 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 2: took to it and ended up playing throughout high school. 167 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 2: It was not a great player, but ended up attending 168 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 2: the University of Minnesota, where I studied applied economics. And 169 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:09,560 Speaker 2: while I was there, I was with the you know, 170 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 2: the baseball team and assisted them in a variety of 171 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 2: different capacities. And that was kind of right when the 172 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 2: technology analytical burst started in college baseball, specifically with Blast 173 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:23,080 Speaker 2: and Rhapsodo and track Man, and the staff there really 174 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 2: allowed me to spearhead a lot of those initiatives and 175 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,920 Speaker 2: drive those home and make those applicable to our players 176 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 2: and more importantly their development. So that's really where my 177 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:35,120 Speaker 2: interest started. My parents had urged me to pursue a career, 178 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:36,840 Speaker 2: maybe a little bit more of the nine to five 179 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:41,080 Speaker 2: world or the normal person's job, and unfortunately my draw 180 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 2: was always towards baseball and went against their advice and 181 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:45,840 Speaker 2: obviously have made a career in a sense. 182 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 1: So I want to I was going to say, you 183 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 1: were majoring and applied economics, what was the what was 184 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 1: the goal? As you were going into college and you 185 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 1: declared that as your major, what was the goal? 186 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 2: The goal was an entry level baseball position. Frankly, really 187 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 2: nothing with my major. I had interest in, you know, 188 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:07,800 Speaker 2: finance and some accounting courses, and my father's in healthcare, 189 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:11,080 Speaker 2: so healthcare economics was always interesting to me, but baseball 190 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 2: was always the number one goal. I didn't know in 191 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:15,959 Speaker 2: what capacity I would work in let alone, if I 192 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:19,679 Speaker 2: would get a position. Scouting, baseball operations, player development applied 193 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:22,320 Speaker 2: for a lot of them, got denied by most of them. 194 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:24,839 Speaker 2: Lucky enough, the Philadelphia affilies took a chance on me 195 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 2: with an internship and kind of got my career rolling 196 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 2: from there. 197 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 3: So I assume you grew up watching the Twins. I did, yep, okay, 198 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 3: So how do how do we just give every picture 199 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 3: the Johann Santana change up? Why why don't you just 200 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 3: do that to everyone? 201 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,200 Speaker 2: It was that easy, Tyler. I wish I could could 202 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:46,000 Speaker 2: say it was a special time growing up in that 203 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 2: era with Johann and Joe Mauer and a lot of 204 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:51,959 Speaker 2: those teams who uh not ended up making that far 205 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,679 Speaker 2: to the playoffs but had successful runs in the regular season. 206 00:09:56,040 --> 00:10:00,760 Speaker 3: Uh, Francisco Loiano as well. I mean, you know, got 207 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:03,559 Speaker 3: an out in Game seven? 208 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 2: Absolutely, yeah, exactly, frequent of the Dome many times. Those 209 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 2: were a lot of the players I watched growing up 210 00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:12,040 Speaker 2: and were obviously formed of memories. 211 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 3: For me, that was that was the team I always 212 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 3: picked on. Like MLB the show six was like that 213 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 3: Twins team. They had all the fun like young players 214 00:10:21,559 --> 00:10:24,200 Speaker 3: at the time. So I also have an affinity for 215 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 3: that to deep dive into, you know, kind of the 216 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 3: baseball nerds side, you know, working with the Rangers the 217 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 3: last few years. I assume that you did you work 218 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:36,760 Speaker 3: out all of Darren Willman. 219 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, close together on a lot of projects. 220 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:43,199 Speaker 3: YEA love Darren. Darren's you know from Houston, was was 221 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:46,520 Speaker 3: an Astress fan. I watched him build Baseball Savant, which 222 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 3: is the coolest website on the internet. Like I remember 223 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:52,360 Speaker 3: he was like releasing just beta stuff of it, like 224 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 3: check out this thing, and I'm clicking in here. So 225 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 3: I guess for you, you know, when you're working through player development, 226 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:03,280 Speaker 3: there there's always some concoction of you know, just old 227 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:07,280 Speaker 3: school coaching versus the analytics and things. But like, what 228 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:10,560 Speaker 3: are what are some of the more analytical tools that 229 00:11:10,679 --> 00:11:13,080 Speaker 3: you tend to lean on, Like what are those that 230 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 3: stand out to you that that really help in your 231 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:17,200 Speaker 3: your player development profile. 232 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, there's a ton of tools that I can list. 233 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:22,080 Speaker 2: I think. I think the big thing, without naming too 234 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 2: many of them, is just forcing our coaches and really 235 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 2: asking them to be evidence based. Our players are as 236 00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:31,600 Speaker 2: informed and as educated as they've ever been before. There's 237 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:34,400 Speaker 2: technology and analytics at the high school, middle school, and 238 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 2: obviously college age groups now and a lot of our 239 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 2: players that we're drafting and signing have previous history utilizing 240 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:42,559 Speaker 2: these tools as it relates to their development, and the 241 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:44,880 Speaker 2: requirement in our ends to make sure that our coaches 242 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:47,599 Speaker 2: are fully proficient in those tools, to you know, be 243 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:51,600 Speaker 2: wizards as to explain, explaining and being able to dive 244 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 2: into what these tools mean how it relates to their development. 245 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:57,560 Speaker 2: So that's a big component of it. Ultimately, the best 246 00:11:57,600 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 2: coaches that I've been around can can do the analytics 247 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:03,440 Speaker 2: and explain what the tools and technologies mean, but they 248 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:05,559 Speaker 2: can also relate to the player's mind and the player's 249 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:07,960 Speaker 2: heart and be able to cultivate trust and buy in. 250 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:10,200 Speaker 2: So the perfect coach, in my mind, can do both 251 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:12,560 Speaker 2: of those extremely well. And ultimately that's how we're going 252 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:14,080 Speaker 2: to try to develop our coaches to be the best 253 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:16,600 Speaker 2: versions of themselves to provide our players what they need. 254 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:20,559 Speaker 1: I'm curious, you know, obviously, listening to you talk, you 255 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:24,200 Speaker 1: are straight out of kind of the modern view of 256 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 1: a baseball executive and kind of modern how player development 257 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 1: works and things of that nature. Certainly not saying that 258 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 1: Dana Brown is not, but he came up in a 259 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:36,120 Speaker 1: different era. I mean he's an older I mean he 260 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:38,720 Speaker 1: came up in a different era of baseball, came up 261 00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:41,439 Speaker 1: as a scout came up, you know very much. Values, 262 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:43,439 Speaker 1: he talks about it all the time. Values, boots on 263 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:46,959 Speaker 1: the ground, values his eyes, seeing what the scouts see, 264 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:50,520 Speaker 1: seeing kind of how these guys play, maybe more than 265 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:53,679 Speaker 1: just numbers on a database or numbers on a stat sheet. 266 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:56,480 Speaker 1: I wonder what your conversations have been like with Dana 267 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:59,200 Speaker 1: and kind of how you too, maybe mesh those those 268 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 1: styles together. 269 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:02,559 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it's learning from one another. I mean, 270 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:05,319 Speaker 2: Dana obviously has a ton of knowledge and expertise in 271 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:08,640 Speaker 2: the scouting domain and front office domain that I don't have. 272 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 2: I've come up in player development the last you know, 273 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 2: seven eight years, and player developments evolved and changed a lot. 274 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:16,679 Speaker 2: And ultimately, I think to the question Chandler, I think 275 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:18,960 Speaker 2: that the best organizations and the best leaders were able 276 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:21,880 Speaker 2: to be open minded to all avenues of what makes 277 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:25,000 Speaker 2: an operation go. So Dane has been that and then 278 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:27,360 Speaker 2: some in terms of being open minded to different ideas 279 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:29,560 Speaker 2: and initiatives and projects that I want to tackle in 280 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:31,880 Speaker 2: the early going. And just in the other sense that 281 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 2: I'm learning from him as to what's made you know, 282 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 2: Houston successful the past handful of years and channeling his 283 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:40,480 Speaker 2: experience back from Montreal Atlanta in Toronto to try to 284 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:41,760 Speaker 2: marry both of our ideas together. 285 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:46,199 Speaker 1: So any part of you that's I guess like whenever 286 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:48,600 Speaker 1: people look at the Astros from the outside looking in, 287 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 1: I guess the first thing they wonder is kind of 288 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:54,280 Speaker 1: how the pitching, how they're able to do what they 289 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:57,000 Speaker 1: do pitching wise, Like, how are they able to turn 290 00:13:57,559 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 1: you know, a ten thousand dollars Latin America and signing 291 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:03,040 Speaker 1: into you know, a CY Young finalist. How are they 292 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:05,480 Speaker 1: able to turn a fifth round pick from Wayne State 293 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:08,320 Speaker 1: into a CY Young finalist? Like, how are they able 294 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: to kind of do that? And when they get major 295 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:12,200 Speaker 1: league guys over here, how are they able to help 296 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:14,960 Speaker 1: them kind of tinker their arsenal. As someone that was 297 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 1: very involved in pitching in Texas in Arlington for the 298 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:22,080 Speaker 1: seven years that you were there, now getting into Houston 299 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:24,560 Speaker 1: and now getting into the Astros kind of the way 300 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:27,280 Speaker 1: they do things, what's maybe opened your eyes about what 301 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 1: they do pitching development wise? And what are you excited 302 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 1: about maybe expanding upon in that realm. 303 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, to the first part, it's incredibly impressive. The run 304 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 2: that they've had here, with the homegrown talent that's currently 305 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 2: in the rotation or has previously been in the rotation 306 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:45,600 Speaker 2: in the bullpen. There's a lot of homegrown pieces here 307 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:47,200 Speaker 2: that have started at the lower level of the minor 308 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:50,160 Speaker 2: leagues and have climbed up to be impactful major leaguers. 309 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 2: I think the thing that has stood out to me 310 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:55,080 Speaker 2: most the past five weeks is just how individual the 311 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:58,320 Speaker 2: program is for every single player, and that's huge. Every 312 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:03,080 Speaker 2: player has their own emotional, physical biases that coaches staff 313 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 2: need to understand. In the pitching group here, led by 314 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:08,960 Speaker 2: dj Engel and Sean Buchanan, have done a phenomenal job 315 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 2: of being able to deploy that and understand what the 316 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:13,640 Speaker 2: biases are for each player and how we can best, 317 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 2: you know, coach that player based on what they can 318 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:20,000 Speaker 2: and can't do. So incredibly individual has been the big takeaway, 319 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:23,520 Speaker 2: you know, in terms of some of my experience with 320 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:27,800 Speaker 2: Texas is I've been big on the connection between athletic 321 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 2: training and nutrition and strength and conditioning to be able 322 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:34,400 Speaker 2: to marry those departments into the player plan process and 323 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:37,000 Speaker 2: really make sure that we're all pulling on the same 324 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:39,840 Speaker 2: side of the rope and ultimately driving the bus. The 325 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:43,200 Speaker 2: right way down down the road. Those departments are sometimes 326 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 2: a little bit overshadowed in player development because they're not 327 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:48,560 Speaker 2: direct relations to what happens in the field. But when 328 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:50,880 Speaker 2: you really pull back the onion and understand what goes 329 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:54,240 Speaker 2: into those departments, they're just as important as our skill coaches. 330 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 2: And really getting them and their information at the forefront 331 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:00,240 Speaker 2: of our player plan process and really just our which 332 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 2: is knowledge is going to be a very important feed 333 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 2: for me and something I'm very passionate about. 334 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:08,760 Speaker 3: The nutrition thing is is crazy to me. So I 335 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:11,840 Speaker 3: worked in minor league baseball about ten years ago for 336 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:15,680 Speaker 3: the Hooks and that team was stacked there. I mean, 337 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:18,200 Speaker 3: there was a million big leaders on that team, and 338 00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 3: I watched those guys eat six peanut butter and jelly 339 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:25,640 Speaker 3: sandwiches every day for eight months, and I just kept thinking, 340 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 3: it cannot be that hard to pay for food for 341 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 3: these people, And so I do appre You're right, like 342 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:35,480 Speaker 3: it sounds silly to be like make sure they're eating right, 343 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:38,640 Speaker 3: but I saw these guys like sharing day old Chipotle 344 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:41,440 Speaker 3: bowls because that's all that was that was there. So 345 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 3: I mean, yeah, it is. It is a holistic view 346 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:48,360 Speaker 3: of the player you know, what, what have you found 347 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:52,000 Speaker 3: you talk about evidence wise, like, I'm sure you've run 348 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 3: numbers of when we feed these people better that you 349 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:57,360 Speaker 3: can increase velocity, and so like, what are some of 350 00:16:57,400 --> 00:17:01,200 Speaker 3: those little pockets that you found, Oh, can really increase 351 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:05,000 Speaker 3: success in a way that we hadn't really thought of before. 352 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:07,399 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I think simply put to that question, 353 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 2: is our our hitting coaches we want we want our 354 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 2: our hitters to swing the bat fast. The pitching coaches, 355 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:15,720 Speaker 2: we want our pitchers to throw their fastballs hard. Those 356 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:17,679 Speaker 2: are the big rocks that we're trying to solve for 357 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:20,520 Speaker 2: on the skill end. But for those things to happen 358 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:23,159 Speaker 2: really play out to the level we want, that player 359 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:25,440 Speaker 2: needs to be eating a nutritious diet, getting the right 360 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:30,000 Speaker 2: supplements into their their routine, following a mobility mobility routine 361 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:33,199 Speaker 2: in the train room, following a strength conditioning routine in 362 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:36,040 Speaker 2: the weight room. So again, all those departments work together 363 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:39,240 Speaker 2: to ultimately solve for you know, swinging the bad faster 364 00:17:39,359 --> 00:17:42,159 Speaker 2: and throwing the ball harder. So to the point on that, 365 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:44,159 Speaker 2: we have a lot of technologies internally that we use 366 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:46,919 Speaker 2: to assess where players are currently at and what the 367 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:48,679 Speaker 2: plan needs to be to get them to point B, 368 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:51,800 Speaker 2: which is ultimately kind of optimizing and solving for for 369 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:52,440 Speaker 2: that success. 370 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:58,879 Speaker 1: I'm interested, so I occasionally I prepare for this podcast. 371 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:01,600 Speaker 1: Contrary to what Tyler will tell you, occasionally I will 372 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:06,240 Speaker 1: come prepared. So you did spend a year as a 373 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 1: coordinator for the eighteen U team USA national team. Looking 374 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:15,440 Speaker 1: at that roster that you were with, it was stacked, 375 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 1: to say the absolute least, c j Abrams, Corbyn Carroll, 376 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:24,880 Speaker 1: Pete Crow, Armstrong, Dylan, Dylan Cruz, Jack Lider, a guy 377 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:28,359 Speaker 1: that you got to know really well, Bobby with Anthony Volpi. 378 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:33,919 Speaker 1: What was it like to see these kids at like 379 00:18:34,040 --> 00:18:37,080 Speaker 1: seventeen years old and like, I'm sure it didn't take you, know, 380 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 1: your vast baseball knowledge to understand, like, man, these kids 381 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 1: are going to be really good. What was it? What 382 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:45,840 Speaker 1: was that experience like being around those guys at that 383 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:47,440 Speaker 1: stage of their development. 384 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:51,919 Speaker 2: Formative for me? Just seeing how young they were Somewhere 385 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:54,520 Speaker 2: in the we had some underclassmen like Dylan Cruz, who was, 386 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:57,200 Speaker 2: you know, sixteen, Pete Crow was on that team at sixteen, 387 00:18:57,280 --> 00:18:59,960 Speaker 2: and just the way that they carried themselves, the profession 388 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 2: with how they approached their work on and off the field, 389 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:05,040 Speaker 2: the level of detail as to which they approached their 390 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 2: at bats, it was impressive. And you would have thought 391 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:11,480 Speaker 2: they might have been twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine 392 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:13,640 Speaker 2: at that time. They were sixteen to eighteen years old. 393 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:17,159 Speaker 2: And I felt bad for the competition we played in 394 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:19,600 Speaker 2: Panama and we won the gold medal because those were 395 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:23,480 Speaker 2: competitive teams, but ultimately that the roster that we rolled 396 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 2: out was just a little bit too mighty for those 397 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 2: other clubs. But yeah, a talented group of players. 398 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:28,239 Speaker 1: I think. 399 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:29,879 Speaker 2: The thing I'll say about each of those guys is 400 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 2: phenomenal people too, And those are guys you really root 401 00:19:33,359 --> 00:19:36,119 Speaker 2: for because you know what their upbringing was or is 402 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:38,720 Speaker 2: and how they've gotten to the point they are. They 403 00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 2: did not wake up out of bed when they were 404 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:42,760 Speaker 2: born and just become that. There was a lot of 405 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:45,040 Speaker 2: hard work and a lot of dedication from there and 406 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:48,119 Speaker 2: a lot of sacrifice from their parents and family to 407 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:50,159 Speaker 2: get them to the point they were. So it was 408 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:53,400 Speaker 2: definitely a fun year, ultimately concluded with the gold medal 409 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:56,680 Speaker 2: in Panama November of twenty eighteen. And all those guys 410 00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:59,399 Speaker 2: have been awesome obviously in their their current stake and 411 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:01,440 Speaker 2: the minor leauser big leagues, and I know success will 412 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:02,439 Speaker 2: continue for them as we go. 413 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:06,679 Speaker 3: So, you know, most of the players coming in now 414 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:09,679 Speaker 3: are obviously very familiar with kind of the new age 415 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:12,359 Speaker 3: of baseball. You mentioned the best coaches are the ones 416 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:15,520 Speaker 3: that are able to, you know, kind of bridge that gap. 417 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:18,879 Speaker 3: What what in just the attitude of baseball have you 418 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 3: seen change the most in your last decade or so 419 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:25,560 Speaker 3: of working in baseball. I assume when you started, you know, 420 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:28,480 Speaker 3: trying to convince a coach to look at a track 421 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:31,639 Speaker 3: man readout and spin rates and stuff was like a 422 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 3: big part of your job, and I would imagine now 423 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:36,960 Speaker 3: that's just second nature, but just kind of walk through 424 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:40,840 Speaker 3: like what it has been like to see internally how 425 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:44,000 Speaker 3: player development has changed in the last decade or so. 426 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:47,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been a really big shift. When I walked 427 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:49,679 Speaker 2: in the doors in Texas in twenty nineteen, I was 428 00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:53,040 Speaker 2: one of a handful of individuals who never played professional baseball. 429 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:56,480 Speaker 2: The majority of our coaches had major league, minor league, 430 00:20:56,880 --> 00:21:00,720 Speaker 2: independent league time as a player and then as a coach, 431 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:03,440 Speaker 2: and I think as kind of twenty nineteen to twenty 432 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 2: twenty one, twenty two kind of took fold. You know, 433 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:10,000 Speaker 2: there was more research out there and how teams and 434 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:13,399 Speaker 2: colleges were leveraging information. A lot of those individuals leveraged 435 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,440 Speaker 2: that information had no previous playing background, and there was 436 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 2: kind of a college boom in the early twenty twenties 437 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:23,000 Speaker 2: on college coaches coming into professional ranks and I'm really 438 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:24,680 Speaker 2: making their mark, and I think a lot of league 439 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:27,399 Speaker 2: caught up to say, there's there's really good coaches out there, 440 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:30,160 Speaker 2: and regardless of maybe their playing background or coaching background, 441 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:33,159 Speaker 2: we should look into those areas. So that's what we 442 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:35,600 Speaker 2: leaned into in Texas. That's what we'll lean into here 443 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 2: is just ultimately finding the best coach, the one who 444 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:41,280 Speaker 2: can be dynamic, the one who can relate to the 445 00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:44,440 Speaker 2: player's mind, the player's heart, but ultimately provide an evidence 446 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 2: based approach and lay out the reasonings why and how 447 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 2: we're asking a player to do something. So I'm open 448 00:21:50,359 --> 00:21:53,000 Speaker 2: to any type of coach that we can find. Great 449 00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:55,640 Speaker 2: coaches are found everywhere, and it's our job to find them. 450 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:59,399 Speaker 1: I'm glad you brought that up, Tyler, because something that 451 00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:02,639 Speaker 1: has been very evident this offseason and maybe even a 452 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:06,760 Speaker 1: little bit last offseason. Two is professional teams are dipping 453 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:09,800 Speaker 1: a lot more into the college ranks for coaches. You 454 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 1: guys have done it this offseason, Sam, the Astros have. 455 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:15,679 Speaker 1: But you have seen a lot and I think it 456 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:19,679 Speaker 1: really kind of started at its tipping point when I 457 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:21,760 Speaker 1: went to LSU. We always kind of joke about that here, 458 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 1: but LSU hiring Wes Johnson from the Minnesota Twins in 459 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:27,600 Speaker 1: the middle of the Major League season a couple of 460 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:30,320 Speaker 1: years ago to be their pitching coach. I think that 461 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:32,639 Speaker 1: kind of opened some people's eyes. But now you're seeing, 462 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 1: you know, you guys have done it. There's been a 463 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:36,760 Speaker 1: lot of teams this offseason that have dipped into the 464 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:40,399 Speaker 1: college ranks to get maybe a recruiting coordinator or a 465 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:43,000 Speaker 1: hitting coach from a college team, dip them into a 466 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:45,480 Speaker 1: minor league team and let them, you know, start the 467 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:48,439 Speaker 1: professional journey. Is that more a byproduct of what you 468 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:50,880 Speaker 1: just said, Like I think more team I think more 469 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 1: major league organizations are being more wide open in terms 470 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:56,919 Speaker 1: of the net they cast or is it, you know, 471 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:00,399 Speaker 1: like you talked about at your time in minnesot that 472 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 1: was right when the analytics boom started, That was right 473 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:07,800 Speaker 1: when colleges maybe started investing in track Man and rap 474 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 1: Soto and those kind of those schools that could afford it, 475 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:14,200 Speaker 1: would invest in those you're now getting, you know, five 476 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 1: to eight to ten years later, you're now getting coaches 477 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:19,160 Speaker 1: that are so well versed in that stuff. Like how 478 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:22,000 Speaker 1: much of those two things kind of helped and casting 479 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:25,640 Speaker 1: a wide net to get college coaches into professional ranks. 480 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think college is going through a period of 481 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:32,640 Speaker 2: transition right now with the nil bubble and specifically how 482 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 2: the mid majors have kind of been decimated by you know, 483 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:39,480 Speaker 2: those players going to the Power five schools. And similar 484 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:40,919 Speaker 2: to the point I made earlier, there's a lot of 485 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 2: really good coaches at the Division three, Division two, the 486 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:47,120 Speaker 2: junior college, the mid major, Division one college who've done 487 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 2: a lot of really good work and potentially even a 488 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:53,600 Speaker 2: lower budget and again like producing work samples. Twitter's been 489 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 2: huge for that, Connections within the industry have been huge 490 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:58,440 Speaker 2: for that. But I think the point is that there's 491 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:00,679 Speaker 2: really good coaches out there. In some times, you know, 492 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:02,359 Speaker 2: it's just the right time for a change from a 493 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:04,359 Speaker 2: college coach has been in a certain spot for a 494 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:06,920 Speaker 2: handful of years and might be getting burned out by 495 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:09,480 Speaker 2: recruiting or some of the admin work, and we might 496 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:11,600 Speaker 2: get lucky in terms of matching up on timing where 497 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:14,000 Speaker 2: we're able to pluck that person and make them an ASHO. 498 00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:17,000 Speaker 2: But it has been a sector we've looked into this 499 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:20,280 Speaker 2: hiring cycle. We've hired a handful of coaches from the 500 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:23,880 Speaker 2: Division one and juco level into our program, and all 501 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 2: talented in their own right, and all have had different 502 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:30,520 Speaker 2: experiences and ultimately different ways of deploying development on the ground. 503 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 1: I think I think a lot of Ashers fans maybe 504 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:35,760 Speaker 1: wouldn't remember that Doyl Murphy, who was the long time 505 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:38,200 Speaker 1: assistant pitching coach here now the pitching coach of the Pirates, 506 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:41,679 Speaker 1: was the Ashers hired him from Brown University. He was 507 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:44,200 Speaker 1: the pitching coach, longtime pitching coach at Brown for about 508 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:46,520 Speaker 1: three or four years before the Ashers hired him. So again, 509 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:49,080 Speaker 1: like this is dated back a while, but you're seeing 510 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:52,439 Speaker 1: maybe because like you said, there's a lot more Twitter, 511 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:54,360 Speaker 1: a lot more social media. You're seeing a lot more 512 00:24:54,359 --> 00:24:56,080 Speaker 1: of these coaches announce it. You're seeing a lot more 513 00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:58,720 Speaker 1: of these coaches like publicize their movement. But it is 514 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:01,280 Speaker 1: something that I think a lot of major league organizations 515 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:04,359 Speaker 1: have leaned into this cycle. But something else that Sam, 516 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:06,640 Speaker 1: that you've brought over or that you're trying to institute 517 00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:10,560 Speaker 1: from your time in Texas is something called the staff 518 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:13,640 Speaker 1: Identification program. And if you're watching on YouTube, I'm going 519 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:15,119 Speaker 1: to pull it up and I'm going to share the 520 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:18,320 Speaker 1: screen of the job hosting that is on fangraphs right now. 521 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 1: So if you're interested in reading a lot more about 522 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:23,359 Speaker 1: it and kind of reading what this is, you can 523 00:25:23,359 --> 00:25:26,159 Speaker 1: go to fangraphs and they have the job hosting up 524 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:29,000 Speaker 1: or showing it on YouTube right now. But Sam, for 525 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:31,960 Speaker 1: those that aren't watching on YouTube, for those that don't 526 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 1: want to read this whole thing, can you kind of 527 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:35,760 Speaker 1: give us a little bit of an insight as to 528 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: what the staff Identification program is, what its goal is, 529 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:40,640 Speaker 1: and kind of the origins of it. 530 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:45,239 Speaker 2: Yeah, hiring is really competitive and professional baseball, like I 531 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:47,280 Speaker 2: alluded to earlier, there's a lot of really good coaches 532 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:49,359 Speaker 2: out there, and there's twenty nine other teams who are 533 00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:52,159 Speaker 2: trying to hire really good coaches. The thought with the 534 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:55,040 Speaker 2: staff at education program and something that we started in 535 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:58,320 Speaker 2: Texas was I'm trying to be first movers in that 536 00:25:58,359 --> 00:26:02,280 Speaker 2: sector with college coachesbility coaches and really providing them a 537 00:26:02,359 --> 00:26:05,280 Speaker 2: year long curriculum that we can kind of educate them 538 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:07,600 Speaker 2: on what life is like in professional baseball. What are 539 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:10,200 Speaker 2: the tools we're using, how do we go about approaching 540 00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:14,840 Speaker 2: connection with strength conditioning or the biomechanists, things that maybe 541 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:17,600 Speaker 2: colleges don't have access to, Allowing them to kind of 542 00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:21,200 Speaker 2: learn vicariously through us and our experiences and tools. One 543 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:23,560 Speaker 2: for their knowledge, but two for us to develop relationship 544 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:26,439 Speaker 2: in connection with those individuals who might be targets for 545 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:31,440 Speaker 2: us down the road. The exceptional participants in Canadates are selected, 546 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:34,639 Speaker 2: we'll bring out to West Palm in the fall, allow 547 00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:37,680 Speaker 2: them to suit up as a coach and really learn 548 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:39,439 Speaker 2: on the fly, and allow us to kind of conduct 549 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:41,919 Speaker 2: an in person interview to see again if they're going 550 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:43,719 Speaker 2: to be a fit for us. But I think it's 551 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:46,199 Speaker 2: mutually beneficial. I think it gives the candidates in the 552 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:49,080 Speaker 2: college and facility sectors a chance to learn what life 553 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:51,560 Speaker 2: is like in professional baseball and in turn allows us 554 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:53,280 Speaker 2: to be maybe a step ahead of the twenty and 555 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:56,800 Speaker 2: another teams in terms of collecting names and cultivating relationships 556 00:26:56,800 --> 00:26:58,239 Speaker 2: with people who are going to be targets for us 557 00:26:58,520 --> 00:26:59,760 Speaker 2: down the road in the hiring cycle. 558 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:03,040 Speaker 3: What stands out to you quickly as somebody who has 559 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:05,479 Speaker 3: the potential to be a good coach? I you know, 560 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:07,760 Speaker 3: I mean, obviously you need to speak to them for 561 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:09,639 Speaker 3: a while, but I would imagine within a few minutes 562 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:11,520 Speaker 3: you probably have a pretty good idea of like, is 563 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:14,440 Speaker 3: this person in the right mindset or whatever? Like what 564 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:16,680 Speaker 3: tends to stand out to you as somebody who would 565 00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:17,320 Speaker 3: make a good fit. 566 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:20,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think someone who has an engine. There's no 567 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:23,080 Speaker 2: replacement for a work ethic. There's no replacement. Who's for 568 00:27:23,119 --> 00:27:25,200 Speaker 2: someone who's the first one in and last one to leave. 569 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:28,080 Speaker 2: The second trait would be someone who's a figure, someone 570 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:30,919 Speaker 2: who's a leader in their own right, regardless of role, title, 571 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:34,080 Speaker 2: statu or salary. I want to surround myself with coaches. 572 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:36,440 Speaker 2: When they walk in a room, players gravitate towards them 573 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:39,120 Speaker 2: to get information from them. People don't walk away, they 574 00:27:39,119 --> 00:27:42,080 Speaker 2: walk towards them. The third one is open minded us 575 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:44,280 Speaker 2: and just being able to be growth minded. No one 576 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:46,800 Speaker 2: in this building has all of the answers, and not 577 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:48,679 Speaker 2: being too proud to say I don't know something, but 578 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:51,240 Speaker 2: I'm going to find out. And there's always something new 579 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:53,200 Speaker 2: in this game, as we know, there's always a new endeavor, 580 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:55,400 Speaker 2: a new piece of technology. And I'm having a coach 581 00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:57,119 Speaker 2: who's able to accept that they don't know everything and 582 00:27:57,160 --> 00:27:59,200 Speaker 2: there's still more information out there that they need to 583 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:02,159 Speaker 2: understand and just is really important. The last one is 584 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:05,960 Speaker 2: just an obsessive thinker, always thinking about ways that this 585 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:08,080 Speaker 2: coach can get a player better. What are different ways 586 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:10,800 Speaker 2: we can approach a problem that we're currently encountering. So 587 00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:12,399 Speaker 2: those are really the four things that I've tried to 588 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:15,480 Speaker 2: task myself and the staff with identifying in the process. 589 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:18,160 Speaker 2: And I feel confident about the group that we've hired 590 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:20,719 Speaker 2: this offseason that they possessed those four trades that are really 591 00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:21,280 Speaker 2: high level. 592 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 1: There's a faction of people that are listening to this 593 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:28,280 Speaker 1: and there were twenty nine minutes in and they're probably 594 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:32,080 Speaker 1: like yelling at their iPhone or yelling at the computer 595 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:34,040 Speaker 1: that we have not asked about a player, that we 596 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:38,440 Speaker 1: have not asked about a member of the system. Sam, 597 00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:40,760 Speaker 1: understanding that you've been on the job for about a 598 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 1: month and a half, I don't want to I don't 599 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:47,520 Speaker 1: want to start bogging you down with specific questions about 600 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:50,760 Speaker 1: this guy swing in this guy's you know, secondary pitches, 601 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:52,640 Speaker 1: Like I don't expect you to have that to be 602 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:54,760 Speaker 1: up to speed that much. You've had a lot, Like 603 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:56,680 Speaker 1: you said, you've got a lot thrown at you. But 604 00:28:56,720 --> 00:29:00,360 Speaker 1: I guess maybe more in general, as you've gotten to 605 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 1: sit down and as you've started to study the system, 606 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:06,960 Speaker 1: as you've started to study what you have in front 607 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:10,560 Speaker 1: of you, kind of what are your thoughts on the system, 608 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:14,240 Speaker 1: kind of where where things seem strong, where things maybe 609 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:17,480 Speaker 1: need to be a little maybe some supplement needs to happen. 610 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:21,120 Speaker 1: Your overall just kind of basic early thoughts on the 611 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:23,240 Speaker 1: system that you're inheriting here in Houston. 612 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:25,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it's stronger than a lot of the 613 00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:29,120 Speaker 2: pub publications have led on to say. I think there's 614 00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:31,960 Speaker 2: a lot of really strong depth pieces in the system. 615 00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:34,120 Speaker 2: There's some high end talent with the you know, the 616 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:37,520 Speaker 2: Bryce Mayors, the Ethan Fries, the Xavier and Ions. Those 617 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:40,360 Speaker 2: are the aircraft carriers who I think in a year 618 00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:43,800 Speaker 2: or so or two will be impactful for us at 619 00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:46,080 Speaker 2: the big league level. But I've been really impressed with 620 00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:48,960 Speaker 2: the group that's out here. The Joseph Sullivan's Lucas Spence's, 621 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:52,200 Speaker 2: the Alonso Treadwells. There's some, there's some. There's some players 622 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:53,840 Speaker 2: in the system who might not be on the front 623 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:56,719 Speaker 2: page of Baseball America, but are talented in their own 624 00:29:56,760 --> 00:29:58,360 Speaker 2: right are going to provide us a lot of value 625 00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:02,160 Speaker 2: for our club at level here down the road. So again, 626 00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:05,120 Speaker 2: I think the publications have been harsh on us, and 627 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:07,680 Speaker 2: I look forward to proving them wrong. I challenged our 628 00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:09,680 Speaker 2: staff with that too, and I think they've had us 629 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 2: at anywhere from the twenty fifth to maybe twenty eighth range, 630 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:15,360 Speaker 2: and I look forward to proving them wrong this year 631 00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:18,480 Speaker 2: and allowing these players to show us not only internally 632 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:20,520 Speaker 2: but externally what they can do and the type of 633 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:21,600 Speaker 2: talent that I know that they have. 634 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:24,800 Speaker 3: Well, a wise man once told me that you can't 635 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:27,200 Speaker 3: control the players here in the system. You can only 636 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:30,920 Speaker 3: control the development. So you know, it seems like that 637 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:33,200 Speaker 3: feels like you're in the right place there exactly. 638 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:35,479 Speaker 1: I will say, that's the question that like ay as 639 00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:37,520 Speaker 1: a reporter like I get the most often, is like 640 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:40,880 Speaker 1: when a guy like Hunter Brown comes up and does 641 00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:42,920 Speaker 1: what he does, or like when you get kind of 642 00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:46,160 Speaker 1: unheralded guys that come up and that do contribute, but 643 00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:49,200 Speaker 1: they look at the overall system ranking and whatever outside 644 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:51,320 Speaker 1: publication they choose. I'm not going to pick on one 645 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:54,880 Speaker 1: because I think, you know, unfortunately, like they all do, 646 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:57,720 Speaker 1: kind of say the same thing rankings wise, kind of 647 00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:01,480 Speaker 1: what do you think the outside public locations maybe miss 648 00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:05,880 Speaker 1: in terms of why you guys do rank, where you 649 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:10,120 Speaker 1: rank perennially, and what can be that step to, like 650 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:11,400 Speaker 1: you said, proving them all. 651 00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:13,880 Speaker 2: There's a lot of bias in the publications as to 652 00:31:14,040 --> 00:31:18,120 Speaker 2: you know, draft status, signing bonus for certain players. You know, 653 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:20,400 Speaker 2: a lot of our our top prospects I mentioned, you know, 654 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:23,960 Speaker 2: Spent and Sullivan, those weren't you know, Day one, Day two, 655 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:27,120 Speaker 2: you know, premier draft guys. Those guys have developed in 656 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:29,800 Speaker 2: the system the last handful of years and have made 657 00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:34,120 Speaker 2: really good you know, progress and value in their own rights. 658 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:38,760 Speaker 2: So development surely is not linear. It's a circutest path 659 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:41,560 Speaker 2: to get to where each player needs to get to, 660 00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:44,880 Speaker 2: which is their ceiling. And ultimately the publications are doing 661 00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:47,400 Speaker 2: their best understand who the players are when they're drafted 662 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:50,400 Speaker 2: and signed. But I would not bet against our group. 663 00:31:50,440 --> 00:31:52,560 Speaker 2: I'll say that I think we have again talented players 664 00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:54,240 Speaker 2: in the system. I thin there's a lot of pieces 665 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:57,200 Speaker 2: who aren't on front pages of publications who are ended 666 00:31:57,280 --> 00:32:00,800 Speaker 2: up end up being valuable, valuable pieces of our our organization, 667 00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:03,040 Speaker 2: but ultimately help us at the big level sooner rather 668 00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:03,480 Speaker 2: than later. 669 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:06,400 Speaker 1: Lucas Spence was not a Day one, Day two or 670 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:09,400 Speaker 1: day three. He was not drafted at all, undrafted free 671 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:11,840 Speaker 1: agent that I'm telling you now, keep your eyes on him, 672 00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:14,320 Speaker 1: because I actually I did a mailbag in the Athletic 673 00:32:14,400 --> 00:32:17,080 Speaker 1: lat this week and someone asked, who were the two 674 00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:19,680 Speaker 1: guys off of the forty man roster that you could 675 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:22,440 Speaker 1: see getting called up this season? In my two selections 676 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:25,760 Speaker 1: were Lucas Spence and Joseph Sullivan, So two left handed 677 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:28,320 Speaker 1: hitting outfielders. Keep an eye on them. Joseph Sullivan was 678 00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:34,640 Speaker 1: drafted his his family lineage needs no needs no further specification. 679 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:37,720 Speaker 1: But Lucas Spence, undrafted free agent, got up to double 680 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:39,800 Speaker 1: A last year. Certainly keep an eye on him. I'll 681 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:43,760 Speaker 1: probably be an NRI in spring training. But Sam, the 682 00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:45,440 Speaker 1: lights are out on you again, so I guess that 683 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:47,600 Speaker 1: means we got to turn the lights out on this. 684 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:49,800 Speaker 1: This was awesome, man. I really appreciate you taking some 685 00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:52,080 Speaker 1: time from West Palm. We told you we keep you 686 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:54,680 Speaker 1: fifteen to twenty minutes, and as Tyler predicted, I lied 687 00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:57,160 Speaker 1: to you. We kept you for thirty two minutes. This 688 00:32:57,320 --> 00:32:59,920 Speaker 1: was great, Very much appreciate your time. I'm sure Ashra's 689 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:03,240 Speaker 1: fans will appreciate getting to know kind of putting a 690 00:33:03,240 --> 00:33:05,120 Speaker 1: face to a name, putting a voice to a name. 691 00:33:05,400 --> 00:33:07,000 Speaker 1: I'm sure they'd seen your name out there, but kind 692 00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:09,360 Speaker 1: of wondering who was this guy? But I think you 693 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:11,640 Speaker 1: gave them a great introduction. If there's anything else that 694 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:13,719 Speaker 1: you'd like to say, if there's anything else that we 695 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:15,840 Speaker 1: didn't ask you about, the floor is yours for the 696 00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:16,960 Speaker 1: last kind of minute or so. 697 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:19,800 Speaker 2: Oh. I just appreciate the time and looking forward to 698 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:22,080 Speaker 2: connecting with all the Astros fans out there and getting 699 00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:24,640 Speaker 2: to meet all you throughout our affiliate seasons this year 700 00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:27,560 Speaker 2: starting in April. So I appreciate the time today, guys, 701 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:29,280 Speaker 2: and looking forward to seeing you all out here at 702 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:30,080 Speaker 2: Spring training soon. 703 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:33,000 Speaker 1: Yep, get out to Waburger Field. Sam will buy you 704 00:33:33,040 --> 00:33:35,400 Speaker 1: a Sam will buy you a double cheeseburger at the 705 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:41,240 Speaker 1: water Burger concession stand with the Doctor Pepper float. As always, guys, 706 00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:43,880 Speaker 1: you can follow us. You can follow me at Chandler 707 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:46,120 Speaker 1: Underscore Rome on x You can follow Tyler at Tyler 708 00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:49,040 Speaker 1: she Stafford. Please rate and review us on Apple and Spotify. 709 00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:52,440 Speaker 1: Please subscribe to the YouTube channel. Please like this video 710 00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:54,120 Speaker 1: on YouTube. It really helps us out. We'll be back 711 00:33:54,160 --> 00:33:58,040 Speaker 1: next week. Fan Fest is next Saturday, so we'll be 712 00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:01,920 Speaker 1: able to maybe start. We'll talk to players at fan 713 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:04,040 Speaker 1: Fest next Saturday, the first time we've talked to players 714 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:06,920 Speaker 1: really since the season ended, so a lot of questions, 715 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:09,200 Speaker 1: a lot of change has happened since the last time 716 00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:11,040 Speaker 1: we talked to a lot of players, So we'll get 717 00:34:11,080 --> 00:34:13,640 Speaker 1: to do that next Saturday. But so we'll spend the 718 00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:16,040 Speaker 1: next week kind of previewing that, preparing for that, and 719 00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:18,279 Speaker 1: who knows, maybe the Ashleys will surprise us and make 720 00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:21,600 Speaker 1: a trade between now and then. But until then, Sam, again, 721 00:34:21,680 --> 00:34:23,760 Speaker 1: thank you very much for the time. This was great. 722 00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:25,800 Speaker 1: We will talk to you soon. Thanks guys. 723 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:28,360 Speaker 3: Now that this is over, everybody, come join me and 724 00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:30,719 Speaker 3: watch some Johann Santana highlights. 725 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:56,239 Speaker 1: Bye.