Phillies checkup w/Ben Davis + Pirates Reality Check w/Josh Harrison

00:00:02
Speaker 1: I got me fired up. Maybe I'll get the Phillies fired up. Ben Davis joining us right now. You can hear them all over TV coverage of the Phillies on NBC Sports Philly.

00:00:21
Speaker 2: Bang.

00:00:21
Speaker 3: Great to see you, man.

00:00:22
Speaker 1: How would you describe the first few weeks here for fighting Phils how they feeling?

00:00:27
Speaker 2: I would say consistently inconsistent. It's it's been frustrating. But as I said on one of the pregames shows the other day, I said, I'm driving to the ballpark and none of the trees still have leads, don't have leaves on them yet. So I'm not really pressed to the panic button as of yet. But I know they're a little frustrated as well. But I do think it's it's obviously in there. It's just a matter of time before they get it going again.

00:00:56
Speaker 4: So when do you start lifting the lid to prep press the panic button? Because you live in the area, you live in the area, and I live in the area, and I know you get you know, amen, you know, what do you really think about the Phillies Klaus Schwarber.

00:01:10
Speaker 3: I can't believe he's getting paid one hunter. That's so much money. I don't I don't like it. I don't think the Phillies are any good anymore.

00:01:17
Speaker 2: Yeah, you get it everywhere you go. And you know, I can understand the fans frustration. They see the big contracts, they see for how many more years they are under contract with the Phillies, and it irks them, and it's it's understandable. They are fans for a reason. But I look at it and I just tell them, hey, guys, just have patience. It's just a matter of time. This lineup will get it going. The starting pitcher. They're going to get Zach Wheeler back very soon, a lot sooner than we thought. So this is a good thing for the Phillies. This bullpen, I think is going to be something that's going to be reckoned with, you know, definitely in the National League. And I think they put together some some big arms in the back of that bullpen, and you know, it's definitely as a pot. But with regards to the lineup, you know, these guys, Kallas Weber said the best, you know, don't really get so caught up with the results right now. Just get you know, worry about the process and how you go about your business day in and day out, and how you achieve those results is through the process. And I've said this numerous times over the last four or five years. This is the most professional baseball club I've ever been around. The professionals in that clubhouse, they get there so early, they prepare, the way they go about their business. They just don't throw their bats and their balls and their gloves out on the field and expect to win. These guys expect to win because of their process and how they prepare for their work every night. And it's something really to be admired. I notice it every time I'm in the clubhouse, and the way they go about their business really is something else.

00:02:45
Speaker 5: So you're telling me back in Sarasota in spring training, we weren't that professional. In the locker room over there, I don't they said, time's.

00:02:57
Speaker 2: These guys actually run around the clubous whipping each other to a wet tail.

00:03:02
Speaker 5: So some of my fathers, Oh my god, anyway you brought you brought up Zach Wheeler. Uh, talk a little about him and what you expect from him coming up. There's been talking about speed and everything else. He looked pretty good the other day, you know, facing Scranton Wilke. So talk about him and you know what you see from him and how soon you'll see him back.

00:03:24
Speaker 2: Well, first and foremost, I am glad that they were able to find find what they found at blood clot last year when they did, because you know, this is more than just a baseball player with a great arm. This is a guy. He's a family guy. He's just a wonderful human being. And I'm glad they were able to knit that in the butty and get it. And then the fact that he's actually pitching and and close to being back is huge because we didn't think it would be this soon at all. So this is a great thing. I know some folks are a little concerned with the velocity. I understand that, you know, two starts go, he's ninety two, ninety three. We're used to seeing him at ninety six, and I get that. I understand the concern there. But his last one, I think it was a couple of day last yes, last night, or day before. He was ninety four ninety five, and it's he's going to get that velocity back. And you know, his breaking stuff has looked really good. His curveballs look sharp, which he doesn't throw all that often. But I've seen some good highlights of that. So yeah, I think just anytime he can add someone of Zach Wheeler's ilk back into the rotation, it's only going to help you club out, all right.

00:04:30
Speaker 3: But is he the still the ace?

00:04:33
Speaker 4: Is he still the de facto ace in this rotation based on what Christopher Sanchez has done?

00:04:40
Speaker 2: I'm going to say yes. And I love Christopher Sanchez that what he has overcome, you know, riding that shuttle back and forth, back and forth and becoming one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, not in the National League, in all of baseball, this guy. But I think anytime you have a Zach Wheeler on the mound, you know, that's the guy I'm going to give the ball to Game seven the World Series, He's going to get the ball from me. Not saying anything against uh Sanchi, but Sanchez is you know, I would say he's the facto ace if you want to put it. He could be, you know, one B in that rotation, but he's uh, he's been great and that you know, you'd be hard pressed to find a better one two punch in all of baseball.

00:05:22
Speaker 5: Do you see any concern with the cleanup hitters. I know there's been talks about down basement slugging, slugging percentage combined, it hasn't been there. Are you concerned about that at all? Or you just see this kind of even itself out as the season goes on.

00:05:37
Speaker 2: No, I do see it as a concern because if no one's hitting behind Bryce, he's not gonna get a whole lot to hit. We all know that Alec Bohm was my guy to be that four hole, and everyone here is all he doesn't hit home runs. He doesn't do this. He does Alex Film has been you know what you're gonna get out him. I know he's struggling right now and they have moved him way down the lap. He actually didn't even get to start last night in Mundo Sosa got to start at third base. But Alec Bohm, you can, the guy that hits for average and drives guys in can play on my team any day of the league. I don't care if he hits ten to fifteen home runs. If you're driving close to one hundred runs every year and he bat two eighty to two ninety, you can play on my baseball team. And that's what Alc bolm has done. Now, he has not done that at all this year. We all know about the off field stuff that he's got going on, and I think that is playing a huge part in his performance on the field right now. That's a lot to handle for a young man, especially when it concerns your family. Not making excuses, but there's something going on. He's just he's really lost right now at the plate. I hope he finds it soon because I think he can be that presence behind Bryce Harper in the lineup to really, you know, make sure that Bryce gets pitches to hit because if not, you know, I know, Brandon marsh is filled in and he's done okay. But if you get a team you know that have some lefties, that's going to be an issue having you know, Harper and Mark in the lineup back to back lefties in that situation. So JT has tried to do it. JT has not done it as well has he done in other spots in the lineup. So yeah, it is a concern of mine, that's for sure. Kratz.

00:07:15
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00:07:24
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00:07:35
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00:07:43
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00:08:15
Speaker 4: Have you been in the clubhouse this year? I know the season is new, I'm not sure if you've done any of the games, or if you're just across the street. Have you been in the clubhouse?

00:08:22
Speaker 3: This year.

00:08:23
Speaker 2: I have not been into this year. I'll be in there on Friday. I'll be doing the game from the dugout on Friday, but I'll get in there and talk to some of the guys.

00:08:32
Speaker 4: The reason I ask is because about the stuff with Boem. You say how professional this team is, but they're also a super close knit group. Is there any way like these guys like can surround him in this time or is there I've never I've never been on a team where you know, that kind of stuff came out until you know one of the other Phillies players that kind of stuff came out when I was playing with them. And so is this a team that comes around each other or are they just professional on the field and that is it?

00:09:02
Speaker 3: No.

00:09:02
Speaker 2: I think I think they definitely are trying to console him personally, and you know, hopefully they can get the onfield stuff back to where he can be and be that productive player. But I think it's it's a very family like atmosphere in that clubhouse that has been like that for years now, And it starts at Rob Thompson at the top and his coaching staff. They're they're absolutely awesome. But I think, yeah, this is this This is way beyond baseball, all the personal stuff that he's going through right now, and I think they're they're trying to embrace Alec and get him back to where he can be, you know, emotionally and and from a physicality standpoint on the diamond.

00:09:41
Speaker 4: All right, when you listen to old man Barkan, old Man Larry Anderson, and old man Crucky talk about this team, we used to strike out way too much the last year and now into this year they've diminished the strikeouts, but with that they've also diminished the homers. Besides Kyle Schwarmer, where do you sit on that side of it? For the Phillies based on the fact that you've seen it now for a year of years before it was complaining a strikeout or nothing, and now they minished diminished the strikeouts, but the homers diminished with it too. So where do you sit on that? As far as the happy medium, Yeah, that's a that's.

00:10:17
Speaker 2: A fine line because obviously, if you know you short up with two strikes put a ball in play, something good can happen. Tray Turner has gotten a little bit better at that this year. I know his strikeouts are up, but you know, he's still dumping balls into into the outfield giving a chance. That is a that's walking a fine line that everyone likes to home run. Obviously, home runs are cool, and uh, you know it's you'd like to see the ball play out of the ballpark. And this ball club is built on slug and right now they're not hitting a terrible amount of home runs. And you know, I'm okay with them, you know, maybe striking out a little bit more if they're going to hit the ball out of the ballpark. But you know, people have heard me say this over and over. I playing this ball club to a good three point shooting basketball team. You know, if those threes are going down, that's awesome, man, that they keeps shooting, keep chucking up from the chiefs. But if they're not going down, you need to find other ways to score. And right now with the Phillies, if they're not hitting the ball out of the ballpark, they're not scoring runs. And that's that's something that's got to change.

00:11:20
Speaker 5: One bright spot on this team, which there's there's a couple of them. I mean, justin Crawford. We interviewed him in the Lakewold Blue Claws, a couple of years ago, and we just we knew he was going to be a bright young man and a good star in baseball. I mean, he's been on base a lot. Talk a little about him and what you think, you know he can do better, and what he's done great so far this year.

00:11:42
Speaker 2: Well, one thing I'd like to see him do a little bit more is steel basis. I mean, this guy can flat out fly, and I'd like to see him try and attempt some more bass stolen. He's played a very good outfield. He gets really good jumps on balls. I love what he's doing at the plate with his aggressiveness. I mean this I got caught up. First pitch he ever saw in a big league game. He shot it right back up the middle for a single. So I do it. I really do appreciate his aggressiveness. He's willing to stay in the strike zone. I know he's a young player. You get caught up and you want to prove to everybody that you deserve to be there. You are that guy. You you were the number one draft pick, and I'm going to show you how good I am, and then I belong here. You know, he's done everything he could do in the minor leagues, he's hit for average. He has not hit for a ton of power, but maybe that comes. He's still a young man, so still growing into his body a little bit more. But I've loved the way he competes at home plate. He's been using the other side of the diamond tremendously. You know, you see that third base and drawn in, it's just easy for him to punch it through that left side. So I you know, I think this guy's a limit. For this guy, he's got all the talent, he's got, all the tools. He brought was obviously brought up in the big league atmosphere with his dad, So I think that the lights are not really too bright for him right now. That's a good thing.

00:13:00
Speaker 1: Hey, Ben, can you elaborate on what you're doing this weekend. I think it's a cool feature in broadcasts that's becoming more popular. We're seeing it pop up on some national broadcasts too. But hanging on the field giving a different perspective. And you're one of the guys that's doing this on the local scene, and I think it could become a thing there too.

00:13:19
Speaker 2: Yeah, I've done at the last couple of years a few times getting down there. What I think is cool about it is you realize how hard came is and how fast the game is. You know, I sit up in the booth and someone misses a three to one fastball, I'm throwing my hands up, mere I can you miss that? You forget about how hard it is to hit a baseball. You forget about how fast the game is, how fast the guys are getting down the line, how fast a double plays turned. So instead of me being in the booth with Johnny and Tom, it's just I'm down in the dugout talking about what I see. You know, I remember, I think last year Matt Bady with the Mets. He was on first base and I noticed how deep the lead he was taking. It's almost like he retreated past the first base bag and then took his lead. And I'm looking at it. I'm thinking, why is he doing this? I said, I think good move is going to pick this guy off. With two pitches later, Aaron Nola picks over and dots him up and gets them out. And it was inexplicable to me. So it's just basically what I'm seeing on the field. You know, how the dugout reacts to certain things, and you know because you notice certain certain things when you're down there, Like I had the one game last year with Zach Wheeler on the mound, you just realize, you know, you got a big guy six y five sixty six. How close he's releasing the baseball at home plate. You don't see that from the boot, but you can see it when you're down in the dugout and that ball. Why that? You know why his pitches get on hitters so fast, And.

00:14:49
Speaker 4: You have experience being on the field, it kind of brings you back, so you can give a good representation of it. But someone that is actually currently on the field I got to coach him was Connor Griffin. Connor Griffin was on the exact same team as your son Tag. Tag is absolutely smashing it at Louisville. For people who don't know, he had eighteen homers last year as a nineteen year old and now he's already got nineteen homers in half the amount of games. So good for Tag. But also when you look at a guy like Connor Griffin, they're both on the All American team. We were out in Seattle. I got to coach. Whatever I did, I just got to like hang out with him and you see it. Are you more Obviously you're proud of Tag and what he's done, but are you more impressed with Connor Griffin and the state of baseball? The fact that he got that one hundred and forty million and it's like, wait a minute, my son's the exact same agent.

00:15:46
Speaker 3: Now he's gonna be able to do something like that.

00:15:49
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's it's pretty dark cool, and it's nice to see these younger guys a lot of their hard work being paid off. I just found out that, you know, Kevin McGonagall got eight years for one hundred and fifty mollion dollars today, So that was very cool that the Tigers locked him up. He was a year ahead of Tag and played here locally at Monseignor Bonner High School, and you know, watching him play in high school, you realize that this kid is special, and you know, to realize that, hey, this is the same age as my son. But you talked about the talents. Obviously they have a different skill set. Conor griff has a different skill set than ninety nine point nine percent of the people in the world. And you know, Kevin McGonagall has a swing that's as sweet and as short as Chase Utley's and with the same amount of thumb. So it's it's different skill sets and uh, but it is cool to see these guys, you know, think about it. A couple of years ago. They're in high school and now they're playing against Bryce Harper. Now they're playing against Coylee Schwerber. Now they're now they're they're facing uh, you know, the GRAM. It's it's one of those things like you kind of kind of it's hard to wrap your mind around it because they are so young, they have to sign these enormous contracts. But I think it's cool that, you know, I think it's cool that they're giving the opportunity, and I think it's cool that the clubs are bringing them up because give these guys shuts see what they can do at this level. I think there's some teams out there they're very they're not willing to promote guys and push guys. Okay, you did okay and a ball, we'll get you in Double A next year. You did okay in Double A, and we'll put you in Triple A next year. I think it's great that they're moving these guys through the system in the fashion that they are.

00:17:31
Speaker 1: And remember the last CBA, they created that rule that made it less enticing to hold guys back, and I do think that has helped the cause here. You don't get an extra year of service that the guy comes up and shine. So those kind of rules have been helpful too for everyone because we get to see these guys and clearly they fit a lot of these rookies. This rookie class looks so good. So Ben really really appreciate the time. Great sketch up with You're good to see you man.

00:17:55
Speaker 2: My pleasure, guys, thanks for having me.

00:17:58
Speaker 1: Hey, one of the starts of Bucko Tear Josh Hairison joining us right now near to the digital show podcasting space and just crushing it. He's got the headphones to show off and he's just really good on there with Platinum Key and Ohio. So I encourage everyone to check that out. We're gonna talk Jackie Robinson day with him as well. But Josh, good to see you man. And first off, I mean, it's a completely different vibe in Pittsburgh right now. So what do you think of what the pirates are putting out there in the first few weeks of the year.

00:18:26
Speaker 6: What's up. Fela's appreciate y'all having me on and definitely from the outside looking at and cratzy you can speak to it too, having spent time in Pittsburgh. You know, when they feel like they got something special, you know, they'll show up and they'll show out and it's bigger than just you know, Paul Schemes. Obviously, you know you got the best picture that they consider the planet in that. But you know, just just a buzz, not even just around you know, the young kid Connor Griffin who'd just signed an extension, which you know definitely adds to the buzz, but the signings of you know, Brandon Lyle, Ryan O'Hearn, which you know, through the early part of the season, have you know, someone seem to pay off. It's just a different buzz. And uh, I mean there's been people reaching out to me, you know, just from the outskirts like hey man, this kind of feels like, you know what it was like when you guys went on that run, And not to compare this team or whatever to you know, what we did, but just the buzz around the city, they're comparing it to kind of when we had those runs, you know, thirteen through fifteen.

00:19:23
Speaker 3: So you know, Pittsburgh's special place.

00:19:25
Speaker 6: And when you show up and you know you can put you know, somewhat the product on the field that looks like you want to win, they're gonna show up and they're gonna bring that energy.

00:19:34
Speaker 4: It is it like the run that you guys had come on, Harry, like you had, you had an MVP, you had a cy young contender in Garrett Cole. You had like like the least the least notable person was you when you were an All Star. Like the fact that like you had Paedro Avarez was when Silver Sluggers you had. Does this team have that because of Does this team have that because of the hype that's around it or is the city hyped up about it because they're comparing it to like the last ten years and there's not a lot to compare it to.

00:20:12
Speaker 6: And I don't even think they comparing it to ten years with what our team was. The city has just wanted, you know, them to put a you know, a product on the field that they can get behind, and I don't think the fans have felt that they have put forth their best effort, you know, since those years, and I think from their standpoint, you know, it's the most money they spent, you know, opening the season, and in their eyes, I don't think they're comparing it to thirteenth through fifteen, but I think the excitement of what this team could be is reminiscent of that because they see that, oh, this is a team that is, you know, showing glimpses of a team that could potentially, you know, make a run, you know, for the playoffs. So I wouldn't sit here and say that they're like, oh, this is that thirteenth through fifteen team, But the buzz and excitement around the team is you know, somewhat similar to that, because it's been a long time since the fans felt that they've had some the cheer for.

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00:22:06
Speaker 5: What's going down? Good to hear your voice. Love love playing against it man, We've been playing for years, dude, college all through right now, those are the best days I want to get on this pitching staff. Dude, I feel like I don't know you guys are in Pittsburgh's in the East Coast. I'm gonna call it the East Coast. It's in the East Side. I feel like they're not getting as much love as they should. Man, they're missing Jones. The guys absolutely filthy. They got some homegrown talent here. Can this team that we talk about all the time each year they come out really hot. Are they get a fizzle or is this pitching staff going to help this team along and ride this wave, you know, maybe to a playoff bound I don't know, what do you think.

00:22:49
Speaker 6: I think that's definitely gonna be the strength of their team. As you mentioned, missing Jared Jones is definitely a key piece that they're missing, which you see right now. Their fifth starter is Majinski, who has you know, always had like a bullpen roll, which he hasn't been bad in the starting role, but other bullpen has been, you know, not the greatest. So I think getting him back allows them to feel like, you know, they they got somebody in the back end of that rotation that you know, it allows Majensky to go back to that long relief swing kind of guy that can kind of tighten up that bullpen and get you the you know, Isaac Mattson, Gregor Risoto or Dennis Santana, And for them, I think you can because you and I know in this game, hitting is gonna be something that ebbs and flows up and down. But pitching is something that can carry you because you know, if pitching keeps you in the game, all you need is at one time the not even necessarily hit. You know, it might be a sack, fly, might be a you know, you know, get the guy over, get them in. You know, baseball is a funny game.

00:23:44
Speaker 3: We know that.

00:23:44
Speaker 6: But if your pitching is tough, you know, that gives you that much more chance to you know, be in every single game. And that's the difference in some teams that win. If you got a good pitching, that's something that a lot of teams don't have. So I think it's something that they'll be able to, you know, kind of keep up. But you know, with that, I think some of their bigger issues is gonna be that bullpen and defense.

00:24:06
Speaker 3: All right, well here I got I gotta go to the lineup. Pitching is legit.

00:24:10
Speaker 4: I think the defense is gonna be legit now with Connor there, and you can put your treola at different places when he's healthy. To me, it's about a guy who's hitting one hundred and when I was there, I hit one hundred and I got fired twice. Do you think the leash on a team that wants to win, is gonna be too long for a Marcelo Zoo to figure it out? Or do you think Marcelo Zuna, the big Bear, is going to be able to figure it out? But how long are they going to give him?

00:24:43
Speaker 3: That's a good question.

00:24:44
Speaker 6: I think we've even talked about that on our podcast Buckle Territory. You know, as long as the team is winning, I think his leash is gonna be, you know, a little longer, because you know, that's a guy that's been around the league that you know, you give him x amount of bats, his numbers will probably even out to be about what his league, you know, what his career average is, maybe a little less. But at the same time, you don't want to sit here and give a guy one hundred and fifty two hundred that bats, you know, and you know there's people that you can plug in that are not one only gonna help the team defensively, that can also give you, you know, better at bats than what he's given right now, you know. So I think that Lisha is gonna be something that they're going to watch very closely. But at the same time, they've kind of put themselves in a position where they're paying I got twelve million dollars, So do you just eat that money on a year that you've come out and spent the most money, you know, to open up the season. So I think, you know, being in Pittsburgh is a situation where they're going to try to get everything that they can out of them. But at the same time, you have to ride at the momentum of what you have, and if there's a you know, spot in a lineup that might need to be interchange, sometimes you might have to eat that money or give him some days off and get a you know, guy in there that might be getting things done. But if they're to win, I think they're gonna give him at least knowing that he's a veteran player. But I don't think it will continue to be too long because you know, they've had some situations with runners being left on base in scoring position.

00:26:11
Speaker 3: He's a guy that they you.

00:26:12
Speaker 6: Know, signed to help short that up and as I said, at least won't be super long. But I think they're gonna give him every opportunity to justify the twelve million I think that they're paying them.

00:26:22
Speaker 4: There's the only thing harder to get somebody to do that's cheap, then spend his money is waste his money. So you know what, they paid that man his money, they're gonna they're gonna let that man get his bats. They've fired him anytime soon. Does it feel weird that this success is happening? Though in that position, it could have been cut Like it could have been the guy who's been there and everyone was like, ah, you know what. The organization basically said, now he's washed and we think we want something different. And now Cutch has had some success. He hasn't been killing it in Texas, but this success in this era that I've been alive.

00:27:01
Speaker 3: Has revolved around Cutch.

00:27:03
Speaker 4: Is it weird to not see him there, even in like a platoon role of some kind.

00:27:08
Speaker 3: Oh for sure.

00:27:10
Speaker 6: I mean I don't want to speak for myself, but I think anybody that kind of saw once he made his way back to Pittsburgh, you kind of have to feel in the damn man, when this dude's ready, he's going to retire pirate. And that's not to say that who knows what the future holds, but you kind of saw this off season was almost like, I don't think anybody really expected it to kind of go down the way that it did. But you know, it's one of those things, like you said, times have changed, and you know that's my boy to you know, to the end. I'm happy that he's got an opportunity elsewhere. You know, Unfortunately, as we said, it's not where everybody thought it would be. But if you ask him, you know, he's right where he needs to be. But at the same time, you know, for the city of Pittsburgh, you know, they got to keep it moving and you know that's that's pretty much what they did, and they they're gonna have to justify it and not necessarily as pressure, but you know, all good things must come to an end. So maybe that's where game.

00:28:04
Speaker 1: Hey, Josh, I want to move to the headliner today.

00:28:08
Speaker 3: It is Jackie Robinson Day.

00:28:11
Speaker 1: You know, we talked about it at the top of the show and how much Jackie meant to the sport, and of course wanted to get your thoughts on you know, what you think about when you think about Jackie Robinson, but also what it's like for players. I mean, this show is about player perspective, So what's it like for players on day like today?

00:28:28
Speaker 6: Oh, man, it's fun man. You know, granted, every day you're going to locker room, it's fun because you know you get to put on a big league uniform. But you know, looking around seeing everybody wearing forty two, you know, just just to remember everything that he went through to get us to where we are today and everything he endured. Because you look around the clubhouse, no two people look the same. So to take that day to remember him, and you know you'll see guys that you know taking a step further. You know, they were the cleats. They you know, Baseball has done a good job of honoring him, and you know, having different things and uh, you know, it's always an exciting day for me. You know, I always wore my pants up, so you know, I'm out there, I'm trying to get a bag or something, you know, trying to play like Jackie did that day. And but at the same time, you know, it's it's kind of weird because at the same time, if you don't know, people look like, man, who is that on forty two? Come on, man, Like I need to see his real number because I've been looking in the iPad or you know, the roster to know who's coming in, but you know, outside of not knowing who it is, because everybody's forty two, it's always the cool day because you know you walk in, that jersey's hanging up, and you know it just allows everybody, you know, put things in perspective and take that little minute to reflect. But as I said, I think I pretty I played pretty well on Jackie Robinson to day, so I enjoyed it.

00:29:44
Speaker 3: Oh man, I better. I should have looked up them stats, but I.

00:29:48
Speaker 6: Know I got at least a homer. I know I got at least a homer, maybe two.

00:29:52
Speaker 4: Okay, okay, well, well maybe somewady behind the scenes will check the numbers.

00:29:56
Speaker 3: We'll check it.

00:29:56
Speaker 4: We'll check the line and make sure you're not lying to us. But I talked about at the start of the show, I stole my Giants jersey. It was twenty nineteen, so it was at the end I was like, I am not at the every time they were always take my jersey, and I'm like, no, this is the one that I want. Did you ever get any of your jerseys and you have any good stories about people like your family, call and me like, yo, let me get that Jackie jersey because I know how much you got to take care of, the take care of big age, and how much your family do they do you have any good stories about that jersey because of how meaningful it is, But you know, did you have to steal it yourself?

00:30:35
Speaker 6: So like you, when I was with the Nationals, yeah, I think we had Jackie Robinson Day in Boston, and I think I had Homer jersey coming with me. You might as well say, hey, if it's gonna be twenty five, it's gonna be twenty four, and I'll let you know it's gonna be number forty two. Good luck find good luck fun on which forty two? But a lot of people knew we couldn't take them. But my older brother, he coaches minor leagues. He's right now coaching infield triple A for the Reds, but he's been with the Diamonbacks various levels. Saying with the Reds, he would always be like, man, just give me a pair of them Jackie socks, because you know they would have like the dining with the forty two. So I would always try to look out and get my brother a pair of socks. But outside of that, you know, it's kind of tough to get your hands on stuff. So I got to Washington National's forty two. That might be the only one, but I hit that home run and I said, yeah, nah, yeah, I'm sorry.

00:31:25
Speaker 2: I'm sorry.

00:31:26
Speaker 6: This one got to come with me.

00:31:27
Speaker 4: I think some of the other stuff people don't even people don't even notice, Like the socks my son still wears, wears the Jackie Robinson socks. He thinks they're the coolest. My other son wears my like pink, my pink Mother's Day socks. So like this kind of thing I think needs to be needs to be done more in the big leagues. And do you think we one day is enough for Jackie.

00:31:52
Speaker 6: I mean, it's better than no days. But I think that's something that maybe it's a weekend thing. But I mean, we do know when Jackie Robinson Day is. But at the same time, I think maybe a weekend thing because I know there have been cases where Jackie Robinson Day has had to be two days based off it fell on a Monday and somebody had an off day or Wednesday Thursday. So that could be something to look to where like, Okay, make sure that everybody's playing on Jackie Robinson Day, because sometimes it'll fall on a Monday or Thursday, which could be off days.

00:32:22
Speaker 3: Harry.

00:32:23
Speaker 4: I don't know how you're gonna feel about this, but we were doing rundowns, pickoffs and rundowns in my high school team the other day. We were teaching guys. We were teaching guys pickoffs and rundowns and stuff. And we had a dude on the team who's not very good at baseball, but he is fast as all fast, and he was getting out of all those rundowns and my son goes, hey, he goes, he looked like Josh Harrison running in those rundowns because he saw the crez leg Harrison runs that you would have that you kind of became famous for. But I gotta tell you, every one of the dudes on the team goes, who. So, does that make me feel bad or does that make you feel like?

00:33:00
Speaker 3: All right?

00:33:01
Speaker 4: Mayby, I gotta re up the YouTube videos for the kids.

00:33:05
Speaker 6: Nah, it don't make me feel bad in due time, because when they get old enough, they'll start to find out that that video that meme is starting to pop up on Thanksgiving. I get it every Thanksgiving talking about when somebody mentions where my girlfriend or whatever and somebody's like me avoiding a question of when I'm gonna get married. So if they don't know, oh, I've seen that meme, so apparently I've been told that it's gonna be timeless. So if they don't know, they will know.

00:33:34
Speaker 1: That's so good, right, anytime someone's avoiding something showing Josh between the bases, Nope, nope, nope, that's good.

00:33:45
Speaker 2: Gonna catch me.

00:33:48
Speaker 3: Heay here man.

00:33:49
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for joining us.

00:33:50
Speaker 2: Josh.

00:33:51
Speaker 1: Great to see you and keep running it. It's been great listening to you on VAKA.

00:33:55
Speaker 3: We'll do appreciate you'll having me on.

00:33:58
Speaker 1: And Josh hireson along with no Hiles and Platinum Key run the new Bucko Territory a few months old and they're bringing it's part of the FT network. If you're a Pirates fan, it's a must.

00:34:10
Speaker 3: It's so good.

00:34:11
Speaker 1: Podcasts, YouTube, wherever you want to listen, it's there.