Red rookie Sal Stewart on his rise to MLB, Machado’s big bro impact

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Hey, we've got Red's rookie slug Or south Stewart joining us right now, Sally got Scottie Brown, Air Kratz and Todd Father Sal Great to have you on the show. First ball and welcome to the show. Has the first couple of weeks going for you?

00:00:18
Speaker 2: Good good, Thank you guys for having me. By the way, it's awesome. Thank you.

00:00:22
Speaker 3: It's been pretty great, honestly. Finally, a couple of days ago, I finally kind of relaxed a second and realized that it was kind of like a reality. But it's been great, honestly. The guys in the clubhouse have been awesome with me, so and it's exciting. We're making a playoff push so right where right where we want to be?

00:00:40
Speaker 4: All right, So you're comfortable?

00:00:42
Speaker 5: Now, does that mean you're sitting on the couches because I didn't sit on the couch so I retired.

00:00:47
Speaker 3: Oh no, I know the rules. I faced my locker and I sit in my chair, So I know the rules.

00:00:53
Speaker 4: Does anybody give you a hard time?

00:00:55
Speaker 5: What I was talking about was the fact that rookies normally are not supposed to sit on the couch feel comfortable, and when a dude feels comfortable. I mean I was, I was guilty of this. Dude feels God. Rookie comes up, I'm like, oh, I'll roll I'll roll something over for him to put their feet up on, and I'll be like, hey, do you want Peterborough jelly?

00:01:13
Speaker 4: What what do you want? And deliver it to them. But has anybody giving you a hard time?

00:01:20
Speaker 6: Nah?

00:01:20
Speaker 2: Na, if it is, it's just allid jokes and stuff. But sure, nah, it's still a great It's sen a great time. And I'm all for that too.

00:01:28
Speaker 3: I mean, I got you got to earn your stripes when when you make I mean anything you did in the minor leagues that's kind of just in the in the past now and uh now it's kind of just you got. I gotta re earn everything I've I've kind of built.

00:01:41
Speaker 2: So I love it. I kind of love that aspect of it. And I got to earn what I have.

00:01:45
Speaker 3: All these guys have been in the league and they're not gonna let just a young guy come in here and get comfortable.

00:01:51
Speaker 2: So I like it for sure.

00:01:54
Speaker 6: Who have you like kind of flocked to a little bit on this ball club? And you know, a veteran guy, or there's somebody who you know who's your locker mats, Like, is there somebody that you know, your conversations with that you kind of lean on a little bit for a little help as you move forward.

00:02:09
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, honestly, Steve has been great with me.

00:02:11
Speaker 3: Trevy's been great, Austin Hayes, Ellie is great, Espina. I mean, I can go on and on. Honestly, They've everyone's kind of like kind of looked out for me. But we were doing stuff in spring training and kind of Steve O had picked me for his group for.

00:02:27
Speaker 2: One of the Young Buck things that we do, So he's.

00:02:30
Speaker 3: Been great with me. But nah, honestly, I mean they've all been great with me. I can really kind of lean on anyone and they'll guide me in the right direction. Nick he's from Miami.

00:02:39
Speaker 2: He takes care of me. So honestly, man, I can go on and on.

00:02:42
Speaker 4: For sure.

00:02:43
Speaker 6: You're talking about Martinez. He's a base but I play with him in the Olympics. We had a good time.

00:02:49
Speaker 2: Yeah. Have you been out and about in Cincinnati yet?

00:02:52
Speaker 6: Have you gone any good restaurants or anything yet?

00:02:54
Speaker 2: Maybe Jeff Rupert, Yeah, Yeah, Ruby's Ruby. That place is awesome. Honestly, I'm a fan favorite for sure.

00:03:02
Speaker 3: But yeah, I mean I kind of I haven't really been here too long, and I've had family, so I've kind of been with them. But maybe when I head back, when we get back home, I'll kind of look out for some places.

00:03:12
Speaker 2: But I don't really do much, honestly.

00:03:13
Speaker 3: I kind of just go to the field and then go back home and get ready for the next day.

00:03:17
Speaker 2: So I don't really do too much, all right.

00:03:20
Speaker 5: So I'm not sure how this is gonna go. So I'm gonna call for a video of your home run to center field in San Diego. I'm not sure who you hit it against. And as we watch the home run, tell me what you the motion because I saw this when I was watching the game. Tell me it leaned back on. Oh he did, But tell me, tell me, tell me what happens right.

00:03:44
Speaker 4: Here? Were you?

00:03:46
Speaker 5: Were you showing your boy Manny, what you've been, what you've been showing off ever since you've been on FT for about three minutes?

00:03:53
Speaker 4: Here were you showing them? Were you showing them the rolex that he bought you?

00:03:57
Speaker 2: Yeah?

00:03:58
Speaker 3: So, Manny, honestly, he's literally my big brother. I talked to him literally every day. He's he's helped me every step of the way. I wouldn't be here in this position without him. He's changed my life, his family. Yeah, and we had a little story. I mean, I mean a lot of people know about the story already, but kind of He had told me, look, you're in the minor leagues. When you make it, don't worry about the Rolex. I'm gonna get you one. And the first day I got to San Diego, he said, hey, you think I forgot, Like.

00:04:27
Speaker 2: I definitely didn't forget, and then yeah, got me this.

00:04:31
Speaker 3: So I thought it was just a I thought it'd be funny if when I passed by, I let him know, like, hey, I still rock the chador, you know. But yeah, he's he's he's family to me, literally, like he is a brother to me. And I just thought it'd be kind of funny, you know, around in the bases, and he thought it was hilarious.

00:04:50
Speaker 2: So it was a good time. Something I will never forget for sure.

00:04:52
Speaker 4: That's big.

00:04:53
Speaker 5: That's big league awareness by you to be going around to hit a dinger off of Michael King dead center and then you're going around second basically look at Manny like, yeah, I appreciate, I appreciate you making me feel comfortable. But man, he's got man, he's got kind of a bad rep sometimes some of the stuff he's done. Can you tell us something that would make us not think that or make us like whoa many does that? Because gifted a dude who's really not like your connection just goes back a long ways. But gifted a dude a Rolex for when he makes the big leagues, that's big time. So tell us something about Manny that maybe people don't know.

00:05:32
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, honestly, if if you feel like that's a bad rep, that that's something that you need to look at.

00:05:38
Speaker 2: He's an amazing person, an amazing teammate.

00:05:42
Speaker 3: He he looks after everybody, and he's someone that when he does things for people, he doesn't want any recognition. He doesn't want it, and that's that's when he that's when he knows someone's a good person. He I mean, he's he does everything behind the scenes. Look at his foundations. He's always looking after people. He's a great teammate, locker room. I mean, I don't know why people would have that that view.

00:06:05
Speaker 2: He's he's I mean he's a leader. Look at what he's done with the padres.

00:06:09
Speaker 3: I mean, I can go on and on. He's such a great person. He's a great father, he's a great husband, he's a great friend.

00:06:16
Speaker 2: So honestly, for me, he's family to me and he'll always be family to me.

00:06:22
Speaker 1: Time for your weekly Arena Club segment where we see what AJ pulls from a slab pack and here we go pull Emerald pack this week. AJ looking for something big.

00:06:36
Speaker 4: Always, I'm always looking for the big thing that's big.

00:06:38
Speaker 1: Thanks got big money, big money, baby. We've got a Dave Winfield card from nineteen seventy four to seventy four tops card from this Emerald pack. Estimated value three hundred bucks. You could sell it back for two seventy So I feel like you are into more of the current players. Would that be accurate?

00:07:00
Speaker 4: Like you am?

00:07:00
Speaker 1: I sure might have a Robbin you out, I have a Chrissy Rookie car Oh that's true.

00:07:04
Speaker 4: So I mean I have some older vinton'shier players. Bob Gibson.

00:07:07
Speaker 1: Oh, yeah, you have Gibson.

00:07:08
Speaker 5: So I know I disagree Scott, But Dave Winfield for the amount of money back, I'm reselling.

00:07:14
Speaker 1: It and if you want to get your own pack or new car, and you can get twenty percent off your first slap pack or card purchase at arenaclub dot com. Slash foul.

00:07:23
Speaker 6: Tell me a little bit about yourself, man, because you know you new guy comes in. You know, give me some hobbies. What you like to do in the off season, you know, talk to us. I know you're a Miami guy. Yonder lines on my boy many my boys, Well, like talk a little about you. I know you're a family guy through and through.

00:07:38
Speaker 4: Like give us a little bit man.

00:07:40
Speaker 6: What you like to eat, what you like to do, your hobbies, talk to us, let the people know.

00:07:44
Speaker 3: Yeah, honestly, in the off season, I kind of just get up, I train and that I love football. I mean I love football. Me and my boys back home, we love football. So we entered the what we call the dungeon, which is my boy's house.

00:07:57
Speaker 2: He's got a little.

00:07:57
Speaker 3: Room with a huge TV. Go into the dungeon. We order some wings and then kick it, like what guys like love to do. I mean, sit there, watch some TV, eat some wings, and then just relax.

00:08:08
Speaker 2: Honestly, so I don't do much hang.

00:08:11
Speaker 3: Out with my girlfriend, and and yeah, it's pretty much it. See my girl, hang out with my with my best buddies, watch football with Manny and Yonder, I mean, watch football with my dad.

00:08:23
Speaker 2: I just kind of spend a lot of family time.

00:08:25
Speaker 3: Usually in the season, we have a we have a lot going on, and we can't really spend a lot of quality time with the with the people we care about.

00:08:31
Speaker 2: So when I'm back home, that's pretty much all I do.

00:08:35
Speaker 5: Wait, wait, wait, it's not gonna change. Like, you're not making eight different plans. You're a big leaguer. I get it. Your coffee is still a little bit hot, your first cup of coffee.

00:08:43
Speaker 4: But you're a big leaguer. Now, nothing's gonna change. You're not gonna take like a trip or nothing. You're just still going into the dungeon and watching football.

00:08:51
Speaker 2: Yeah. I don't change just because what I like, just because I made it.

00:08:54
Speaker 3: I mean, I haven't done anything. And even if I do that, I won't change who I am. That's not me.

00:08:59
Speaker 2: I go to church and I watch football. It's pretty much all I do.

00:09:04
Speaker 5: All right, Well, what happens if the Reds do this thing, do this thing that everybody's kind of looking around maybe some people are hating, but I would assume the feeling in the clubhouse is like, Hey, we're not making any plans for October. Do you feel that in this clubhouse. I know you've never been in a Pennant race in the big leagues, but tell me what you're hearing from the boys in and on the team and around the team right now.

00:09:30
Speaker 3: Well, it's kind of understood what the job is, and the job is to go out there and focus on ourselves and go and play to win. Honestly, we're not focused on any other team right now, and that's pretty much the kind of what we're all doing right now. We're just like, hey, let's take day by day, let's go out and win, Let's take care of what we need to take care of, and then if everything falls in line, it'll fall in line. But we definitely don't have plans for October, and we're gonna keep on going out and playing hard and playing to win.

00:09:59
Speaker 1: Sally, I want to ask you you about your game, and I'll let you handle most of this, but was there an approach change at some point this season? Because you know, I follow the prospect world pretty closely. We have a baseball America Show and you're on some of the reports there, like look at the pull power coming in. So can you walk us through what you've changed this season if anything?

00:10:21
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean a lot of people were like dying for like how come he doesn't hit more homers?

00:10:26
Speaker 2: How come he doesn't pull the ball? How come he doesn't? And like that all comes with time. Like when we're.

00:10:31
Speaker 3: Back training, we're all focused on being a good hitter first, being able to hit to all parts of the field, being able to do what's necessary in the game.

00:10:39
Speaker 2: I mean, you don't need a kind of you don't need a homer in every situation.

00:10:43
Speaker 3: There's some situations in the game where obviously a homer would be great, but to help a team win sometimes that's not the case. So we were just focused on being a good hitter first. And then once I got to like double A and then tripa A, and I started to.

00:10:57
Speaker 2: Realize like, hey, these balls, all I have to do is just just meet the ball, just touch the.

00:11:01
Speaker 3: Ball and they'll take off. Everything kind of settled there with me and in regards to my power, so I was never really too much worried about it. I want to be a good hitter first, and then knowing the power would come later.

00:11:13
Speaker 4: That's an advanced approach to hitting.

00:11:15
Speaker 5: If anybody wants to just rewind that and listen to advanced approach. But I want to ask you, maybe maybe you don't even know this story, but you know Yonder, you know many many told Yonder one year when he was when he was still playing, when Yanner was still playing. He's like, hey, if you want to hit with me in the off season, you're gonna have to start hitting for some power. Because Yonder, this dude had a joystick. He was just like, oh, whoop, base it up the middle, Whoop, base it over over the shortstop head. And all of a sudden, Yonder's putting some balls out of the ballpark. And Yonder told that story, he said, hey, He's like, man, he was like, hey, you can't hit with me unless you start hitting the ball at the bar park. And then he just turned it on.

00:11:53
Speaker 4: Is it that easy? Is it that easy for Miami guys?

00:11:58
Speaker 2: I don't know.

00:11:58
Speaker 3: Yonder was such a good player for him and not have been that easy. But everything I've done was in the minor league. So maybe next year once, if I do it in the babies, then we can talk about it, but me and Yonder had such a great career, and obviously Manny's great career. But yeah, I mean that's what we talk about, being a good hitter and then and then the power will come, and I mean it just shows, like the power is just like when you hit a homer, it's kind of a mistake swing, Like I'm trying to hit a hard line drive through the middle and then if I just get a little under it, then it takes off out to center.

00:12:30
Speaker 2: So that's pretty much.

00:12:32
Speaker 3: Our our, like I guess, our our way of thinking and what we're trying to do at the plate.

00:12:40
Speaker 1: All right, sal were you surprised that you got called up this season? Like how was it going throughout the year? Did you think that you were going to get the call? And obviously you get to get called up to a team that's in the mix for a playoff spot. And also on top of that, what was the call up?

00:12:57
Speaker 2: Like?

00:12:57
Speaker 1: I don't remember. I mean a lot of things get posted. You might have had one too, I just don't remember. But was there a good story behind when you found out?

00:13:05
Speaker 2: Yeah, in regards to like knowing I was gonna get caught up, I honestly had no idea.

00:13:09
Speaker 3: I'm uh I would. I would pray every night and just tell Jesus, Jesus, give me just like calmness and knowing that you're you're timing and your.

00:13:18
Speaker 2: Plan is perfect. So I was just in the minor leagues.

00:13:21
Speaker 3: I was really trying to focus on any little thing I could to perfect my game so that when I get to the big leagues, I can be as ready as possible. Obviously, nothing can prepare you for the big leagues because it's in the league of its own. But I wanted to make sure I did my part and everything I could so that when I got there, I was as ready as possible. And yeah, and then in regards to when I found out, our manager had had had me read off the off a phone kind of like in Spanish, saying and he told me I was going in the big leagues. And then he said, hey, actually hold on, we have one more thing outside for you. And then when I had walked outside, uh man, he was on the on the jumbo tron and on the yeah, I guess that Jumbo trin and he kind of made a video for me, just congratulating me and how proud he was of me. And that he'll see me in San Diego the next week. So it was a surreal moment for sure, in one I won't forget.

00:14:15
Speaker 4: Wait, Manny did a video for you.

00:14:18
Speaker 5: Yeah, as a padre, but you were getting caught up for the Reds.

00:14:24
Speaker 4: That's that's big time. Yeah, that is big time. That is big time. I get it.

00:14:28
Speaker 5: Yeah, Oh I get it. I'm taking I'm gonna take you back. I'm gonna take you back to high school. And I'm telling this story as a secondhand. I don't know if you know. One of the other co hosts it's on regularly Monday through Thursday, is A. J.

00:14:41
Speaker 4: Prazinski. His son Austin Goes went to first academy. Did I say that right? First academy? I think so.

00:14:49
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:14:50
Speaker 5: And they beat you guys your senior year in high school. AJ wanted to give you a hard time and said he wanted to say thank you for his son's state first state title, which they got another one again this year. But does a loss like that? Does a loss like that stick with you even though you've accomplished so much. You know, you're a first rounder, now you're a big leaguer. Now you guys are in a playoff hunt, does that loss still sit in there and kind of like scratch at you a little bit?

00:15:23
Speaker 2: Yeah, first academy. I mean, I don't forget, I don't forget. What's that first academy?

00:15:27
Speaker 3: I said, wait, it's not the same first academy I'm thinking of. But yeah, they they they got us, they got us, and that it'll halt me too, because I mean, although like personal accolades are great and all, I mean, I'm I'm more I'm more focused on like team accolades and winning a state championship was a dream of mine and uh I wasn't able to do that, which which is kind of sad. But I mean, knowing that it was Praszinski's son that won it, I mean it makes that a little better.

00:15:52
Speaker 2: But he can rag on me. They won, and I just kind of have to sit here and take it because we didn't win. So yeah, it kind of hurts a little bit, but it's all right.

00:16:00
Speaker 1: Wow, Yeah, well, yes, Austin did get the championships. Are he's happy about that. They also have their clubhouse is basically a big league clubhouse, So it's ridiculous.

00:16:10
Speaker 4: I'm sure Westminster's isn't. Isn't not too shabby.

00:16:14
Speaker 2: No.

00:16:14
Speaker 1: The one other thing he brought up from that time period, which he was like, what park did you get did you guys play in?

00:16:19
Speaker 4: Like the Twins park in Fort Myers? Are you guys playing in one of those? Okay?

00:16:23
Speaker 2: Yeah, the Twins park.

00:16:24
Speaker 4: So he was like, oh, Westminster's home ballpark. I think you were saying it was small or short? Right? Is that right? Sound? It was short to right field?

00:16:32
Speaker 2: It is short to right field, yes.

00:16:34
Speaker 7: Okay, and we had a bigger ballpark. Yeah, we were playing it. So it was gobbling up these fly balls from Westminster. So there was like this was like light trash talk sprinkled in and you know what.

00:16:46
Speaker 2: I mean, I'm not really big into the chesh talk and none of that.

00:16:49
Speaker 3: I kind of just got him play and whatever happens happened. I mean, they people like, we've come to realize and I've learned, and they've they've been teaching.

00:17:00
Speaker 2: People are gonna come out and say a million different things.

00:17:02
Speaker 3: Which they have, they have the right to. They have an opinion and they can go out and say it. But the only opinions that really matter to me are my family and the people I consider family.

00:17:11
Speaker 2: So yeah, they could they could talk, and it's all right.

00:17:14
Speaker 3: Everyone's got their own opinion, but I don't really pay too much attention to it.

00:17:20
Speaker 5: So I don't know what's gonna happen in your career. But your approach to everything and your mindset and the way you talk about stuff doesn't seem like it's fake. And I hope you stay watching football, going to church and eating wings with the boys for twenty more years in the big leagues. Todd can appreciate that, and any big leader can appreciate that, because you're gonna have ups and downs, but it's the same sound comes to the ballpark. Maybe you might lose some of that hair, but keep that as long as you got it all right and hit some day.

00:17:51
Speaker 2: I hope I could keep it for a while. I love my hair.

00:17:55
Speaker 4: You got plenty. You're good. You're good.

00:17:56
Speaker 1: But that's a great answer for me to tell Aja next week or you guys next week.

00:18:00
Speaker 4: Sure sound was happy for Austin. Austin got a dub. You know it seems it seemed very genuine.

00:18:06
Speaker 5: I mean, proved me wrong, soal, but it's genuine that makes me happy to watch.

00:18:10
Speaker 4: I'm gonna watch a few more Reds here. Yeah, sounds of.

00:18:12
Speaker 1: The show now, So everything's good.

00:18:14
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's the plan.

00:18:16
Speaker 3: I mean, you played a win and everything works out, so I'm gonna do my part and I know our team's ready.

00:18:22
Speaker 4: All right.

00:18:22
Speaker 1: Well, Sala, this was awesome man, great getting to know you. Thanks for joining us. Appreciate it and we'll be watching all right.

00:18:28
Speaker 2: Thank you guys, thanks for having me