Mariners SP Logan Gilbert on his K surge, Woo’s recovery, Cal’s MVP case, Ichiro’s bye week play

00:00:03
Speaker 1: Logan Gilbert of the Seattle Mariners is here, Logan, great to have you on. Thank you for spending some time with us during the bye week here while you watch the other team slug it out.

00:00:13
Speaker 2: Great to have you on.

00:00:14
Speaker 3: How you doing, Hey, all good? Thanks for having me on, guys.

00:00:18
Speaker 1: So, Logan, it's crazy. This is already your fifth season pitching in the bigs, pitching for Seattle. I'm gonna give you a layup to start. I'm guessing you haven't seen Seattle quite like this over the last couple months. Really, maybe call it since the trade deadline. What has it been like over the last couple of months versus what you experienced in your first four years.

00:00:40
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean the team, the whole team is probably the most complete I've ever seen it since I've been here. One of the best lineups in the league and probably the most complete top to bottom. And then you know, we've had good pitching for a long time. I feel like we set up good pitching, our bullpens, really good Mooney on the back ends, one of the best closers. So I think, all the way around, just one of the most complete teams probably.

00:01:04
Speaker 4: Logan, did you you guys had the scrimmage game? Was it yesterday? You guys had the scrimmage game to try to stay sharp.

00:01:10
Speaker 2: Did you pitch in that? Uh?

00:01:13
Speaker 3: No, it was mostly bullpen guys. It was just like a five inning game, so them getting some work. We got another one today and each ye row was out there in right field too, so that was pretty cool.

00:01:23
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:01:24
Speaker 4: Well, my question was why didn't you do it like the Phillies didn't open it up to fans. Phillies had thirty one thousand people at their scrimmage game last night. And second of all, do you think you could punch each Ro's ticket if you got the chance to face him? He is like fifty years old, so you think you could punch his ticket if if he faced him?

00:01:41
Speaker 3: I would love to try that. He might humble me, though, so I actually don't know if I want that. He still got it for sure, putting work every day in the cage. You hear him in there, so I really don't know if I could or not. But we did have fans. We had like five thousand out there. They kept it to five thousand, but we're still able to get some fans in there.

00:02:02
Speaker 5: Wait, okay, the bullpen guys threw. Is there a more complaining group of people than bullpen pitchers. I throw too much, I don't throw enough, and now you have a whole scrimmage that's just built around those guys.

00:02:16
Speaker 3: I can't say a word because it's going to get back, and those guys have saved way too many of my runs for me to ever say a word. So I love those guys. I hope they get all the rest that they want. If they throw, that's great, But they've helped me out of time rest.

00:02:33
Speaker 5: That's really what I was bringing it up for rest. You guys got the buy not last year, the years before. Everyone's like, oh, this team they sat, it's no good. The buye is terrible. Even one of the guys on our show, Tod Frazier's, has said about it. What's the feeling in your locker room when you guys knew you were getting the by and now that you're in it and you're rested, our hitters like this is great. I feel like it's the first day of the season or the like I can't ever get a hit against another big league pitcher again.

00:03:04
Speaker 3: I think. I mean, if you get to a point where you earn and buy it's a big deal. And I think we're in a good position where you're one hundred and sixty games in. You gotta let the body rest for a day or two. That's that's a really big deal as a hitter, as a pitcher. So it's not an excuse to show up if you win a game or lose a game, if you had to buy or not, it's the best team's gonna win the game. I don't think it should be an excuse ever. And like I said, if you get some rest right now, that's a really big deal.

00:03:32
Speaker 4: All right, Logan, I got a flat to Seattle tomorrow to do your series here for Fox.

00:03:35
Speaker 2: Okay, So.

00:03:38
Speaker 4: Have they told you what game you're pitching so I can start doing prep?

00:03:40
Speaker 3: Have they have?

00:03:41
Speaker 2: They said, because we keep asking and nobody will tell us. So have they told you who's starting Game one? Are you starting Game one? Two?

00:03:47
Speaker 3: Three?

00:03:47
Speaker 2: Where were we at here?

00:03:49
Speaker 1: Well?

00:03:49
Speaker 3: I guess it hasn't. Nothing's been announced, so we're still waiting to say.

00:03:54
Speaker 5: You know though, you know, so just give me a.

00:04:00
Speaker 2: Twice.

00:04:01
Speaker 3: We didn't. Yeah, I didn't know if it was announced yet. I mean, you just told me. I guess it wasn't announced. Or I don't know what what the schedule is. I think that's the answer I'm supposed to say, yeah.

00:04:13
Speaker 4: But we don't want the answer you're supposed to say. I want the answer of when you're pitching. Dang it, I don't so I'm gonna say game two. I'm just gonna throw Game two out there and just wink or smile if it's game two, Game.

00:04:24
Speaker 2: Two, perfect, got it, thank you.

00:04:26
Speaker 3: I don't know.

00:04:29
Speaker 5: Does it matter? Does it matter to you what game you pitched? I know everyone's gonna say just whatever for the team, whatever the boys, But is there like you know, kind of like an opening day feel, everybody's gonna have enough rest to throw. Does it matter which game you throw?

00:04:47
Speaker 3: I think everybody wants the ballgame one, to be honest, that's that's a big deal. But only one guy's gonna get it. And fortunately we're on a team where we got four or five guys that I think could have the ballgame one, So we're gonna be on a good spot either way. And when it comes your turn and you're out there in a playoff game, you're not gonna be wondering or complaining about which game you got the ball in. Your hands. It's gonna be a lot of fun.

00:05:08
Speaker 5: How's Brian Wu? How's that inflamed pectoral muscle which I've never heard of before? But how's he feeling?

00:05:17
Speaker 3: Uh, he's feeling good. I checked in with him yesterday. I think he has a bullpen today and everything's been going really good from what I've heard. So we're I guess, pretty confident to have him back soon.

00:05:29
Speaker 4: Okay, I'm gonna ask you the easiest question you've ever had to answer in your life.

00:05:32
Speaker 2: Right now? Who's the American League MVP?

00:05:36
Speaker 3: It's Coal right, it's gotta be.

00:05:38
Speaker 2: I mean, right, why you're asking me. I've been banging this drum for months now, you're on his team.

00:05:43
Speaker 3: You tell me if you count the homer yesterday in the scrimmage. So I'm counting doing homers as a catcher. That's It's a big deal what he's doing.

00:05:52
Speaker 2: Who do you go deep off of yesterday?

00:05:56
Speaker 3: Oh gosh, I was a bizardo I think?

00:06:01
Speaker 2: Yeah, Okay, all right, that's fair. That's fair. Do you know he had zero pass balls this year?

00:06:07
Speaker 3: I just saw that came out. That's that's pretty cool. I had no idea.

00:06:11
Speaker 4: I mean, platinumli sixty one homers.

00:06:14
Speaker 2: I mean, he's a.

00:06:15
Speaker 3: MVP for me, just to be nobody's done it.

00:06:20
Speaker 1: Well, Logan, I'm sure you've seen this. I mean, there is a very large contingent of the baseball community that thinks that Aaron Judge should win the award. And obviously I'm not gonna have you knock or say, you know, hey, this is what he's better than. But for me, what I'd like to get is more depth within how a catcher's importance like cal is to the team that you know, maybe numbers can't describe, right. I think often the MVP award is becoming a war award, and those two are close. But Judge does have the advantage. He has the advantage on some some park in league adjusted statistics like ops plus, like he's two thirteen cols one eighty or whatever it is. Right, So I think coming from you, it's important to understand how much of a difference maker he is in a number of different components. And if you can mix this into the conversation we have two catchers on our show every day. Is a catcher more important than an outfielder or basically any other position player?

00:07:19
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean if you're talking most valuable player, it's got to be everything right, and the toughest position. Number one is catcher, for sure is the hardest position. The most goes into it, the most is required of you. So he's hitting sixty home runs, banged up, getting a foul ball or I spike one and it hits his neck and then he turns around and hits a home where the next sit bat Like things he's doing has never been done before. You mix in him working with twelve different pitchers, knowing what works for them, how to get him back on track, the game planning every day. Most prepared guy I've ever seen. So we're talking about most valuable player. I think he brings everything to the table in a position that require so much out of you.

00:08:02
Speaker 5: All Right, so the kids call that glazing bro, Like you're totally glazing him. I need you to tell us what his least admirable trait is, Like cal has hit. Everything he's done this year has been perfect. He has caught a division winner. He got you guys, you know through games catching. He won the home run derby his dad through to him, his brother caught Like it's like perfect, Like does he smell by the ninth inning, like, is there something that you're like, ah, man, this really annoys me. Does he eat loud or anything?

00:08:34
Speaker 3: Finally, I've been waiting for that question because yeah, it's the whole year it's been talking about how how good cal is. Rightfully so, but yeah, he gets He gets cranky a lot, especially when you shake him off, and the starters take exception to this. He's usually right. I'll give him that, but uh, if we if we shake him off, he definitely lets us hear about it, and he gets kind of moody back there.

00:08:58
Speaker 4: Let me let me let me explain something to you. Logan, all catchers get moody and cranky. Wha us off, okay, because you guys don't know what you're doing, You don't know what you all think. You all think you're smart, especially if you went to Stepson. We'll get into that later or wa Kaiva high school. We're also going to get into that. But they all think they're smart, okay, because they were like, oh, I watched a film once that said I should throw this pit, So understand that's not just a cow thing. It's every catcher. I'm sure Garv gets upset if you shake him off, He's like, no, you gave up a hit. Listen to me. It's not just col okay, it's every catcher. Just understand that life would be much easier.

00:09:38
Speaker 3: I usually give up a hit two when I end up shaking so.

00:09:43
Speaker 2: Well.

00:09:43
Speaker 1: Also, they were roommates, right, You guys have been together throwing since.

00:09:48
Speaker 3: What a ball you know? Yeah? Hyah, yeah, So that.

00:09:53
Speaker 1: Becomes a little bit of a step brother the situation, right because you guys like could finish each other's sentences. Is the bond even closer because of how much time you guys have spent and you went through the rugged minor league life to get to this point.

00:10:07
Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure. I saw him back then when he wasn't you know what people are seeing now. So I feel like we have a good relationship that we can be honest with each other and you know, not have to say things perfectly if he wants to get on me or me on him. We have a good relationship to help each other out, be accountable, that kind of stuff. And that goes back to twenty nineteen.

00:10:28
Speaker 5: I guess, be honest, what did you see what did you see cal being when you guys were roommates back in the day. What did you see? Maybe his ceiling because you both thought you were going to be big leaguers. You thought you were going to be an All star, you know, cy young candidate year in and year out. What did you see in him?

00:10:49
Speaker 3: I remember him getting super hot in high A in June or something, and he hit like eight homers in a month or something like that, and I thought, this is one of the hottest I've seen. This is like his ceiling. And then he I mean, he's hitting like ten a month in the show all year this year, so I thought he, I don't know, maybe hit like last year thirty homers one hundred RBIs crazy for a catcher, and then he goes out and doubles it this year. So I really didn't think he'd get to this point. But it's pretty cool.

00:11:21
Speaker 2: Okay, enough about cal As Crotch.

00:11:23
Speaker 4: He said, you've glazed him enough now, Okay, so we're gonna I want to ask you about the other guys you picked up at the trade deadline, Gino Suarez and Josh Naylor. Which one is more fun because they both seem like a ton of fun to play with And does.

00:11:36
Speaker 2: Josh not rock? Does he not rock?

00:11:37
Speaker 4: The baby for you guys when he gets these big hits, he kind of stopped doing that, did you guys take that away from him?

00:11:43
Speaker 3: I'm still waiting to see it. I don't know. I think it might be a playoff thing, so keep an eye on it this weekend. We might see it come back. They're both great. Geno is the man. He's a ton of fun, clubhouse leader, just you know, kind of brings to life the energy every day. So just a great guy. Nails is awesome him to him, I didn't really know much about him until he got over here. He probably wants to win, I would say more than anybody I've ever been around. So he's not on the field trying to be friends with people on the other team that kind of stuff. He's locked in every single pitch on trying to see tips or guessing what the pitcher's gonna throw, and he's usually right. So like he's he's the most locked in guy I've seen.

00:12:24
Speaker 2: Wow, that's awesome. And what about Gino? Give me some Geno stories?

00:12:30
Speaker 3: Gino, Well, he hit number fifty yesterday in the scrimmage too, so you got to count that one. So he got his He's the man, just his whole good vibes only that's his thing. He brings it every day. Just yeah, no matter what's going on, he's yelling in the dugout trying to get everybody fired up. So he brings the energy, all right.

00:12:52
Speaker 5: Travel. Travel has been a real thing, and we've talked about I think other shows don't talk about it because they're pro never played guys. We're being honest about the travel. Can you be honest with us about what it's like for you guys to travel, not saying that you've experienced what it is for other teams, but how far does that stretch into you know, maybe playing and like your recovery and all those things for you guys on one hundred and sixty two game season.

00:13:21
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's tough. I mean there's no way around it. I know everybody goes through it. But we travel the most or one of the most every year and it's all I've known here, so it's normal. But you know, you take an east coach trip, You're usually getting in at three four am every time, and you take five or six or seven of those a year, so it adds up. And I was just talking today that's a big deal. Why we have to buy this week too. That we travel so much that I think having a few days or staying in Seattle for more than six days at a time, it's kind of a big deal just to get that break.

00:13:55
Speaker 2: Well.

00:13:55
Speaker 1: And I want to do one nerdy baseball question for you. So, fastball percentage up this year, strikeouts up this year looks like maybe that this splitter had a little bit of a different.

00:14:06
Speaker 3: Look to it.

00:14:07
Speaker 1: How do you sum up what you did in the regular season and where do you think the pump up and strikeouts came from, Like what would you attribute most to It would be like passball location or anything else that you think led to the even more swing and miss, which obviously matters even more in October.

00:14:23
Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't know. That's a good question. Honestly, Probably the splitter, it's probably the easiest answer. I think I get to two strikes and throw it a lot and I hope it works out. So we had some success on that and just trying to get to two strike counts more often. So it's pretty simple, But how many two strike counts can you get in over the course of a season and then throw your best pitch when it's two strikes and try to get a swing and miss. Just do that over and over all.

00:14:49
Speaker 2: Right, Logan, I got to ask.

00:14:51
Speaker 4: I know, I don't know who the answer to this is going to be, because it's interesting to me. Best pitcher to come out of Stetson University.

00:15:00
Speaker 3: I mean, I'm gonna be wrong either way, right, I don't know, And so what you say. I'm probably going with de Grom, but I think they both have two sty Young's, right, him and Klueber. Yeah, So I don't know. I'm going with de Grom just because in his prime he's probably the best pitcher ever.

00:15:23
Speaker 4: Okay, Plus I homeer it off Kluber, so it doesn't count, so he automatically Okay, But so Kluber I saw in the dugout for Cleveland. So if Cleveland wins and they fly to Seattle, do you guys have a secret Stetson handshake that you guys going when you see each other?

00:15:38
Speaker 2: Do you guys have like something you do?

00:15:40
Speaker 3: Still waiting on that one. I haven't heard about it. Maybe it's like a cy young thing that just him and d Grom have. I don't know, but I got to talk to him once in Boston. Briefly, it seems like a great guy. So, uh yeah, it's fun having a Stetson connection around the league. You don't see a ton of it.

00:15:56
Speaker 2: No, there's a few of those. There's Chris Johnson, you Kluber.

00:15:59
Speaker 4: I mean, you guys might My wife said to me, man, Stetson must have a great pitching coach, and I was like, well, maybe I don't know.

00:16:06
Speaker 3: There's something.

00:16:06
Speaker 5: There's something in.

00:16:07
Speaker 4: The water there because you and Cluver, so I don't know. But so I'm from Orlando. Okay, you're Scott. We're in Orlando right now as we speak. So I have to make the six hour flight to Orlando tomorrow. I mean to Seattle. From Orlando to Seattle. I mean, you guys couldn't play closer if you try. I mean, you know, you guys couldn't just move Seattle to like the middle. But it's fine, I'll take the six hour flight. What I want to know is you were born in winter Park, and for people that aren't from Orlando, winter Park is like the super rich area. But you didn't go to winter Park High School. What happened? You went to Wakiva, which when I went to Doctor Phillips, Wakaiva wasn't even think it was like the Springs, you know, and it was a park. But now they have a high school. So how the heck does a winter Park rich kid end up at Wakiva.

00:16:51
Speaker 3: That's so funny because I've heard a lot about that over the years. I don't know why it's turned into that, but I was born in a winter Park hospital for like when I was and then we lived in a popca all my life, so I was never the winter Park rich kid. But every graphic that pops up when I'm pitching says I'm from winter Park, So I know my my grandparents kind of took the exception to that because we've been living in a papca all my life, and now people think I'm from winter Park.

00:17:20
Speaker 1: He's getting all this free plump blaz do you pa, I'm in Mount Dora now.

00:17:27
Speaker 2: Oh okay, all right, that's fair.

00:17:29
Speaker 4: Listen, when I went to doctor Phillips, Greenkey went to Apopka, okay. But when I was in high school, Popka was like I hated him, Like multiple bench clearing brawls against a Popka.

00:17:42
Speaker 2: Really, oh oh, huge rival.

00:17:45
Speaker 3: It's like an hour from here, right, I was like thirty minutes.

00:17:48
Speaker 4: Okay, it's not even it's not very far from it. It's just the traffic will make it. You have to kind of weave you get there.

00:17:53
Speaker 2: But yeah, no, but the Blue Darters, boy woo.

00:17:55
Speaker 4: We used to have some battles sunny Wise, remember Sonny Wise back in the day. Yeah, oh yeah, we had some We had some hippy games against the Blue Darters back in the day.

00:18:07
Speaker 3: There you go.

00:18:08
Speaker 2: Wasn't around, so I can't say I used to kill the Mustangs.

00:18:11
Speaker 1: Well, you gotta tell. We'll end with this, Logan. Maybe he can tell Fox because he's going to be doing the game to put a Popka instead of winter Yeah, can you just it?

00:18:22
Speaker 2: I would tell.

00:18:22
Speaker 4: I'll tell the producer when we do your graphics. And I don't think we ever show that, but I'll make sure that I say it on the air. He is not a rich kid from winter Park. He's a hill billy from He's a hill billy from Pa.

00:18:33
Speaker 3: That's right, that's right, that's right.

00:18:38
Speaker 2: Way in a popka, it's way more street kid, trusty.

00:18:42
Speaker 1: Yes, yes, exactly. Hey Logan, this was great. Hope you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for joining us. Good luck and good luck dealing dealing with a say.

00:18:52
Speaker 3: Thanks guys, had a good time. Thanks for having me