WBC Final Preview and Predictions, Don Kelly joins FT @Pirates camp

00:00:03
Speaker 1: Good morning everybody, and welcome to foul Territory. I'm Alana Rizzo in for my guys, Scott Brown, of course, Eric Kratz is blow me in the monitor and AJ Pierszinski once again continuing his tour, the Spring training Tour, brought to you by Fast and All. AJ, good to see you. We are at Pirates camp today, not the best day to be there.

00:00:25
Speaker 2: What's going on?

00:00:27
Speaker 3: Well, it is cold.

00:00:30
Speaker 4: It is like fifty seven degrees here and as we all know, I'll be crowds to it. Floridians are soft when it comes to the weather. But I will say this, even some of the northern guys that are on the Pirates have complained about when they walk out here how cold it is. And also Mark, I mean we normally have a tent, which we have, but Mark, our fearless leader, has put me not only in a wind tunnel, but also where there's absolutely zero sun, so I can't even go to the sun.

00:00:59
Speaker 5: Hey, hold on.

00:01:00
Speaker 4: One second, We're just gonna have someone say hi, Yeah, hi, Brandon Law, one of the just here of Buckdowns.

00:01:05
Speaker 3: We can see your pretty Yeah, just wait, how are things?

00:01:12
Speaker 6: Yeah?

00:01:14
Speaker 3: You're always ready to go?

00:01:17
Speaker 4: I agreed, agreed. Sorry, special guest appearance. But yeah, it's freezing. It's freezing here.

00:01:26
Speaker 2: Okay, well I know.

00:01:29
Speaker 6: No, I was just gonna say, I think it's good that's freezing because they're gonna be going up north to Pittsburgh for the players, not for aj. Aj needs to have his seventy two degrees and sunny. But for the players. You're going up to Pittsburgh. If you go from like constant eighty degrees, oh so hot, suntaye ocean, you get to Pittsburgh, they're spray painting the brown spots of the grass like it's it's dark and cold. The winter is not coming up in Pittsburgh.

00:01:56
Speaker 5: It is.

00:01:56
Speaker 6: It is there, It is already there.

00:01:59
Speaker 2: It is free.

00:02:00
Speaker 1: But you know what, you can get some foul Territory gear to make yourself warm, guys.

00:02:03
Speaker 2: You can just go to foul Territory shop dot com.

00:02:05
Speaker 1: Buy the gear, buy a sweatshirt, buy a hat, buy all the things, buy a mug for coffee.

00:02:09
Speaker 2: I don't know, all right, a lot.

00:02:12
Speaker 3: On. I don't even have a beanie on him, Mark one on today.

00:02:16
Speaker 5: I'm not touching that thing.

00:02:17
Speaker 3: You just threw it at me. That thing's been on his head. I don't know where that head has been.

00:02:24
Speaker 2: Great guests coming up for you guys.

00:02:26
Speaker 1: While you guys figure out your clothing situation, let us charge the mounds, Charging about all right, presented by Fox One. We're psyched that they're a part of the program. USA versus Venezuela. The final is this evening. Congrats to the Venezuelan team, of course, getting past the Italians of Venezuela and left hander Eduardo Rodriguez. Eric Kratz versus the United States and the writing Nolan McClain of the New York Mets team USA won a coin flip earlier. USA will be the home team. What are you looking forward to the most, k I'm looking.

00:03:02
Speaker 6: Forward to just like nine innings of back and forth playoff style baseball. I'm not saying it's as important as the playoffs. I'm saying it's playoff style baseball where Nolan mcclan gets in a little bit of an issue. He gets in a jam early two runners on, he's gone, you know. Unfortunately, Yes, the Mets want him to get his pitch count up. The reality is he pitches well, he's gonna go as long as he can. But they got some dudes in the pen, and Venezuela wants to do the same thing. But I don't know how many of those guys they actually have that they can use.

00:03:41
Speaker 4: That's the biggest question. Who's available, who's not. We're here, Mason Miller might not be available. Bednar might not be available. This guy might not be available. This guy, I mean, there's one dude that I don't know if he's available. Plasio, the closer for Venezuela. If they have a lead, he's available, would he tell us on our show he would die for his team, and that was the Cubs know what he would do for Venezuela if he gets the opportunity. They have a wondering league going to the night and Omar Lopez calls down there and says, hey, mister Plentia, you're not available. He'll run on the field by himself and just whoever's out there probably tackle them and take the ball. That's the kind of passion that we're gonna see tonight. We're gonna see that for nine innings. The crowd's gonna be insane. Let's not forget. Venezuela had Usa. I don't want to say beat, but they had him down late in the game in the semifinals at twenty twenty three until Trey Turner came up with that Grand Slam. So they know what it's like to play against the US. They're not afraid of the US tonight. I expect listen to stars to shine, right, it's a showcase for baseball on the biggest stage that we have in the spring training and in the offseason. So I expect the stars to shine. And yes, I don't think Nolan McClain's gonna have a very long lease because Joe Ryan's there right and they have a bunch of relievers that need to throw. So I expect Mark de Rosa to have a short lease, and I expect Omar Lopez to have a short leave in Venezuela.

00:04:52
Speaker 3: But it's gonna be epic. I can't wait to watch this game.

00:04:55
Speaker 1: Well, what you're hoping is that the USA can put up some decent numbers in terms of offense against Venezuela guys, because if, in fact, Mason Miller isn't available, that obviously shortens your pen quite a bit. Ken Rosenthal, of course, wrote on the fact that Team USA closer may not be available to pitch in the World Baseball Classic Final because Padrey's manager, Craig Stammon said on Monday yesterday that he's been in touch with Mason Miller about the usage in the tournament and a decision will be made on his availability for tonight's WBC final depending on how he feels ahead of the game.

00:05:29
Speaker 2: I mean, big blow guys.

00:05:30
Speaker 1: Or not, or we shouldn't worry about it.

00:05:34
Speaker 4: It's a big blow for the By the way, Sorry Plancia, I know I'm frozen. My brain is not working, so I apologize. And I thought Joe Ryan was there. He was there one time, but apparently he got called back to the whole place, so the Twins won in him back. So I apologize for that where everyone kills me on Twitter, I apologize. We all make mistakes. But yes, this is the big deal of the back end of the bullpen for the US is not there because they need these guys to do what they've done, which is absolutely shoving get out a huge situation. Sim Miller hasn't given up the hit. He just punches out the world and it's a big deal. So they would love it. But they also have like nine other guys that can go on and close the game. But I apologize for me being cold.

00:06:11
Speaker 2: That's okay.

00:06:12
Speaker 1: We we forgive you Eric who picks up the slack. If Mason Miller isn't there, Joe Ryan, who who else?

00:06:19
Speaker 7: Uh?

00:06:19
Speaker 6: I mean obviously without Joe Ryan. And if if Mason Miller it's not it's it depends how he wakes up this morning. So if somebody has Mason Miller's phone number, they can ask him, Ay, Mason, how you feeling. I have a hard time if it's based on Mason Miller that he's going to be like, No, I'm a little too sore. I think. I think if it sounds like it's in his court, he'll pitch. But I'm gonna say the guys they just added. You saw Rogers came in the other day and I guess that was two days ago.

00:06:48
Speaker 2: Now, well, Garrett he got.

00:06:54
Speaker 6: Two quick outs. Obviously the standard guys Whitlock and most likely Bednar, but Whitlock is a very But they added will Vest. You have Tim Hill, who's gonna be able to throw a sinker from the left side. They have other options. Yes, Is it always better to have a dude that pumps one hundred and three On March seventeenth in a game. Absolutely, but they have availability and I think they're better set up than what Venezuela is, like I said before, because unfortunately it went down to the fact that their side of the bracket has to play without the off day, and that off day allows even if it allows one US pitcher to pitch again, because if the game had been yesterday, all the dudes that pitched in that game are not available. And so I'm assuming it's very similar for run as well.

00:07:45
Speaker 4: Uh oh, someone's calling somebody, you know what that was? That was Mark de Rosa trying to figure out his lineup talking to all thirty teams because what does he do with Catcher?

00:07:55
Speaker 8: Right?

00:07:56
Speaker 4: Does he play Bregnant just because of Regez is starting? Does he play cal Rawally? Does he play Will Smith with the lefty righty? Does Peaker Armstrong play center? Or does he put Yron Bucks in out there? These are the decisions to me that are also gonna matter the bullpenal figure itself out, but the who's he starting to line up? Because no matter who, does he play Bryce or does he play Paul Goldschmidt? Right, There's there's all these things that Mark de ross has to figure out the bullpenal figure itself out because of the game situations. And by the way, if you haven't seen Whitlock pitch until last the other day against dr that dude is filthy coming out of the bullpen. He was one of the best relievers in baseball last year for the Red Sox. That's why he's on this team because he is absolutely filthy.

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00:09:38
Speaker 1: All right, AJ, so put your managerial hat on. You're talking about Durosa having to figure out who's in the lineup. Don't you put team A out there regardless? I'm I'm putting Harper over Goldschmidt. I'm doing probably as much as I whatever to say it. I'm playing cal Rawly over Will Smith in terms of the offensive side of things. Right, so tell me who are you playing? Are you playing Bregman? Are you playing somebody else? Are you playing Harper? Are you playing somebody else?

00:10:05
Speaker 3: It's hard. I'm playing Harper. No offense to Goldie, but I'm playing Harper.

00:10:10
Speaker 4: I know a lot of This is the first time ever in your life you haven't shown Dodger bias. I love cal Rawley to death, but he hasn't got a hit, and Will Smith has been having unbelievable at bat. So I almost wonder I feel like I lean towards Will Smith as much as we love Alex Bregman and Gunnar Henderson. Gunnar Henderson has been hot in this tournament. I don't care lefty or righty. I'm probably gonna run him out there too, So I'm willing with the team that got me there, which is in the semifinals, which was Gunner and Will Now pcavers Buckston is a little bit different.

00:10:42
Speaker 3: But it's not an easy choice. That's why people say, oh, Mark dorros is just the whoever out there.

00:10:48
Speaker 4: This is not an easy choice, man, I'm leaning towards certain guys, but then again, I'm alsto going off recency bias. I mean, yes, do you have an easy choice between cal Raley, will Smith? Do you have an easy choice Gunner Henderson or Alex Bregman, Pca or Byron Buckson?

00:11:04
Speaker 3: Are you kidding me?

00:11:05
Speaker 4: These are not tough to choices. Flip a coin if you have, dude, They're both unbelieve Both of these guys at every position are unbelievable. You can't go wrong.

00:11:12
Speaker 6: Yeah, but it will be critiqued. And that's the beauty of having the position at d ros In. Because I'm even gonna go against what AJ said. Alex Bregman is his career numbers. I should know he's offhand. He's got three dangers, eight stakes. He's got a ops plus of eleven hundred three thirty three nine for twenty seven against against EDWARDO Doriguez. Gunner's been doing much better. Maybe Gunner's ready for a pinch hit, you know, some kind of that that makes that left right matchup a little bit different. But to me, I gotta put Bregman in. To me, I gotta have Harper in the lineup. I get it's left on left, but I'm gonna flip flop. I might even put Bregman hitting second, just because of his stats against EDWARDO Ariguez. Seems like he's ease him well, and I move Harper down a little bit so that we still can keep can keep the right left. You know, I wouldn't be afraid of putting Terrang in this in the second spot, or give Ernie Clement a start, if you're really worried about those those matchups. But to me, I would say, I'd keep trag in there. I would have Bragman in there, and behind a dish, I'd go Will Smith.

00:12:27
Speaker 2: Does the US have their hands full?

00:12:30
Speaker 6: Yes?

00:12:30
Speaker 3: Absolutely they do.

00:12:32
Speaker 4: Yes, they do this is a big league line up, Alana, This is a big league line up with big league players and big league pitchers, And yes, they have their hands full. Yes have you again if you haven't been to one of these games and seen the atmosphere when every time they get to two strikes, every Venezuelan in the crowd, which say what you want. I was at that semi final in twenty twenty three when Venezuela almost beat the US.

00:12:55
Speaker 3: Every two strikes, every.

00:12:56
Speaker 4: Paunch it, paunch it, paunch it, every every hitter, and the way they cheer and the way they danced, it just gets the Venezuela's going. And if they get a lead, if they get an early lead, the pressure will start mounting on the US, And every inning that goes by that they're behind, it's more and more pressure on the US to figure it out. So if I'm in the US, I want to lead early and I want to try to continue to lead. Easier said than done. But yes, are they are? They up against it? Can they win? One hundred percent? But is this a tough game?

00:13:26
Speaker 5: Yes?

00:13:26
Speaker 4: It is because Venezuel's never won one of these and they are a baseball crazy country.

00:13:31
Speaker 6: And they've made some really good moves. They made some good moves last night to put Andre Semenez in. I think Omar Lopez has been in games that's the manager for Venezuela. If people don't know, he's been in games where it's like, hey, I understand what we need in this spot, pinch running Andre Semenez for Glabor Torres. Like you sit there and you go, okay, this is this is what the US is up against. Does US have an advantage, Yeah, they have an advantage because Venezuela is not going to have all their bullpen guys who really got them through that game last night after cater Montero was walking too many guys. It was a little erratic that bullpen put them in the spot to be able to come back, which they finally did. And I think I think you people are people put the Team USA up on this pedestal like they have so many superstars. You go, you go down Venezuela's lineup and you're like, oh wait, there's a dude that hit forty nine home runs in there, Ronald LeCun. You's got envy an MVP, could have had another m v P. You have. You have guys that play ridiculous defense. You have that the team they have Jackson Curio hitting ninth, and Venezuela like, it is a star studded lineup and they're gonna have it's gonna be It's gonna be one on the margins, Which team base runs better, which team doesn't walk as many guys? Which team doesn't chase out of the zone. So to me, that's where the game is gonna be won.

00:15:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, don't forget about Willia or Bray you he wants to be added to that list of stars as well. Guys, don't forget to tune in tonight to our postgame show after the USA versus Venezuela game on the Foul Territory YouTube channel. And this episode is brought to you by Fox One. Fox one is now live stream all your Fox favorites together in one place, from Major League Baseball postseason to NFL on Fox to Big Nude Saturdays with Fox One. You get it all live. Start your seven day free trial today offers our subject to change. Go to Fox one for complete terms and conditions. Fox one streaming now. Since we are at Pirates Camp today, Eric, let's go through some of their stats heading into the twenty twenty six season. Just as far as win projections are concerned in the National League Central, some may find this a little bit hard to believe, but according to fangraphs, I believe it looks like the Cubs are set at eighty six wins, but it's the Bucos ek at eighty three and a third, their second in the division.

00:15:57
Speaker 6: What say you? It's just so hard to increase your win total that much. But I go to one thing. I go to the stat that Paul Skeins would be and I know this is his career, and so I don't know exactly what it would be from last year. He'd be forty three to one to start his career if they scored three or more runs in every one of his starts. So it's hard to say a team is going to improve their win total that much. But when you delve into it and you go, Okay, this team did play good defense last year. Yes, they don't have key Brian Hayes for any part of the year this year, but they still played good defense. They added so much offense, which was something that they were really really struggling with last year. They had some spurts where they would score some runs, but in general they would score three, two, then they'd break out for a four run game. And to me, this year, the fact that they added offense and Brandon Lao in Ryan O'Hearn in Marcelo Zuna, three guys that are really going to be major pieces to this lineup, and I think twenty plus home runs each of them would have led the team in home runs last year had they been on the team. I think that numbers not as crazy. I think they're more of a five hundred team this year. But eighty three puts them in the puts them in the conversation for making a playoff, making a playoff push.

00:17:29
Speaker 1: All right, you mentioned the additional offense, You mentioned Ryan O'Hearn. Of course, you mentioned Marcelo Zuna. We got Gregory Soto, Jose Rikiti, which I know, whatever, it's not offense. But Brandon law Password when you think about I can never say his name right, but it's like just just Snixton Garcia. Of course I will get that right at some point in my life. And hissus trabe, so so is the is the addition bigger than the subtraction? Because let me talk to you Eka about the losses obviously Andrew McCutcheon, Tommy Famm, Johann Obeedo, Mike Burrows, Chase Shoegart, and Jack Sowinski. I do think the addition is bigger than the subtraction.

00:18:06
Speaker 2: Is that fair to say?

00:18:08
Speaker 8: I do?

00:18:08
Speaker 6: I totally do. I think the only issue is they traded away some of that pitching to get some of this offense. And you see the best teams in the league. You see the fact that the Phillies are like, ah, we might need to add somebody else. We only have six starters. The Dodgers are like, hey, we'll run in the season with eight nine starters. The Greats, every one of these teams that have playoff aspirations go, we're fine with extra. The Blue Jays just picked up Max Schurzer, and it's like, well, did you really need them? They're fine with extra because every team knows they're going to go through a decent amount of starting pitching. So I think that would be where the additions would even remotely come close to the subtractions. But I still believe that the additions were way way olex out exceed the subtractions. But the subtractions of losing some starting pitching death may may come back to hurt them in a full one hundred and sixty two game season.

00:19:13
Speaker 1: Yeah, according to Baseball Reference, it's Joe Stinson Garcia.

00:19:17
Speaker 2: We call him the past fard.

00:19:18
Speaker 6: Obviously easy, it's so easy, especially when you see it. When you see it written, You're like, I'm not seeing just now.

00:19:26
Speaker 1: And I should and I should know better. I should know better. I was did a little bit of the stuff covering the Red Sox last year. I will get better. I promise you that, all right. So, in terms of their Pittsburgh playoff odds, Eric, you talk about the winning the division twenty five point seven percent, I think it's probably fair to say, as we get into the season, we're probably thinking the Cubs are going to lead the NL Central, So clinching the division seven point two percent, clinching the World or the wild card rather nineteen point three percent, and making the postseason just under fifty percent at forty five percent, winning the division twenty five point seven too low?

00:20:00
Speaker 6: Too high? Again, it feels like it's too high. It feels like you have a team that's perennially hated in the Brewers with these predictions, and yet they went out and won the most games last year. Then they get rid of Freddy Perulton, You're like, oh, no chance they're gonna do it. So I have a hard time saying that twenty five percent is too high. So I'm going to say I'm going to say I'm saying it's too it's too low. I feel like it's too high. I feel like twenty five percent chance. To me, I think it is a It's a two horse race in the NL Central and I would give the Pirates more of like a ten or fifteen percent chance to win a division. It doesn't mean they're out of the playoff contention, but just to win the division. I think the other teams are a little bit deeper.

00:20:47
Speaker 1: It's funny that you say that you see them as a five hundred team, because that would be eighty one and eighty one. Now, Fangrafs is the one that has them at eighty three point three, but bet MGM has them at seventy eight and a half. So is bet MGM two low. I mean, it's so funny because it's like they're so close on either side of the line. What do you think about that?

00:21:06
Speaker 6: I would love the over on that one, So I appreciate you bet MGM for helping me all out on that. I do like I do like the over. I feel like to say they're a three games, you know, three games below five hundred. Actually yeah, technically it'd be a little bit, but it's to me. I take the over there because I think there is a chance and they're playing in the NL Central. I think there's a lot of wins to be had. From the fact that the Reds are losing Hunter Green but they're still going to be good. The fact that the Cardinals. I think that's where teams are gonna The teams that have finish above five hundred in the division are the ones that are gonna be able to take two of three every time. From the Cardinals take this thirteen games, you know, win ten of those. That could be the difference in the division is how do you beat up the Cardinals Because everybody else, everybody else in the vision is good. Are they elite?

00:22:02
Speaker 8: No?

00:22:03
Speaker 6: I don't even I mean, I think the Cubs had a chance to be elite, but you know, they made their moves and you know they're gonna go. They're gonna go with the team that they have, and I think they're a little bit above average, but everybody else is good besides the Cardinals.

00:22:27
Speaker 3: I think we have the whole NL central in that front end. But no Don Kelly, manager of the Pirates.

00:22:33
Speaker 5: What's up with that?

00:22:34
Speaker 3: You know what?

00:22:34
Speaker 8: I haven't been doing it long enough I think to make the make the clip. But maybe next year you guys can get me on there. You've had a great second.

00:22:40
Speaker 3: What do you mean we did?

00:22:41
Speaker 5: We did better, but I haven't earned that yet. I don't think.

00:22:43
Speaker 3: What do you think it takes to earn forty five year forty like council at.

00:22:47
Speaker 5: The end, I don't you know what. I don't know what it takes there in that.

00:22:51
Speaker 8: We're working through that right now in camp and we'll hopefully next year.

00:22:55
Speaker 4: I'll make it today because I walked by you earlier and talked to you and Ben Charrington and it's one of those days in camp that as a man, this is your first time really having to do the cut, so that send downs.

00:23:06
Speaker 3: What is that like? Because I've never really asked a manager what that's like.

00:23:09
Speaker 8: It's hard, you know, I think that it's it's being a player. You know, when you're coming up through and you get to big Ley camp, you get sent down for the first time. It's hard to be a player in those settings. And I think that days like today, I feel fortunate that I was on the other end and understand, you know, we might not know exactly what these guys are going through, but we're in the ballpark and understand how hard it is for them to be in camp. You have goals of making the club and then to be told that you're not going to be on the opening day roster, and as we know, it's going to take more than the twenty six guys that start off on the big league club on opening Day. It's going to take a lot more than that. So I think that looking back on my career, having been sent down a lot, dfaid and you know, different things that happened in the game that we talked about earlier. You know, you feel fortunate that you've gone through some of the downs as well as some of the ups.

00:24:00
Speaker 6: What's tougher talking to them or knowing that you guys already had the meeting that ah man, you know, like, I think we're gonna cut him. Because as a player, you walk in on Mondays or Tuesdays, whatever payday is, and you're like I know people are getting cut today, so you like avoid eye contact with the bench coach and the manager. But you as a manager and even coaches, you guys know a little bit ahead of time. It's not like they walk in and like, oh he looks cuttable.

00:24:27
Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, it does. It makes it. You try to keep everything as smooth and consistent as possible.

00:24:33
Speaker 8: Whenever you're you're sitting there and you see a guy saying hi, talking to them, you know, on a daily basis, try to keep it the same end. You do know deep down that you've had the conversations and they're always going on, you know, as far as how the team's gonna shake out and who may or may not get cut, And it doesn't make it any easier when you call them into the office to have that conversation that they are going down.

00:24:56
Speaker 3: Are you a don Kelly's going out there type of man measure?

00:25:00
Speaker 4: You send Christopher to gron your bench coach out there, yeah, and then the pitching coach out How does that which one of the because I've seen both. I've seen where managers walk around and then I've seen also where they send the bench coach or the yeah.

00:25:12
Speaker 8: And the grown has been, Yeah he does. He's got his own office and uh he's earning that right now, going out and grabbing the guys. And you're right cratzy. The eye contact, guys don't wanna. Guys don't want to make eye contact whenever they know the cuts are coming and you want to. Sometimes it's hard to find guys too. I've I've done my fairs air of hiding myself.

00:25:35
Speaker 1: Done along those same lines. Good to be with you, I'm Alana Rizzo, along those same lines. How much does communication a part of this? I think guys can appreciate open door policies, the level of communication, just being honest with them so perhaps they know where they stand in the long run and in the in the plan of the organization as a whole.

00:25:56
Speaker 8: Yeah, that's a that's a big part of it, you know, when you're sitting there and you're talking to guys as camp goes and just trying to be as open and as transparent as you can. I think Leland has been such a mentor for me as a player and then getting onto this side and managing as well. And the one thing that he's always said is you have to tell the players the truth. If you tell them the truth. They're gonna hate you for a day. If you lie to them, they're gonna hate you forever. And something that we try to take into account and be truthful with these guys when we're talking about the roster or playing time or anything that goes on on a day to day basis, and that communication is a big part of it.

00:26:32
Speaker 6: Do you miss planning spring training? Last year we hung out for like thirty minutes talking about, you know, catching up with family stuff, but also the fact that you have to plan spring training. You had to plan it all out.

00:26:45
Speaker 5: And now you don't write I do not I do not miss it either.

00:26:50
Speaker 3: At all.

00:26:52
Speaker 5: You know the guys that not just here that are planning it, but around the league it is.

00:26:58
Speaker 8: There's a lot that goes into spring There's a lot of moving parts, not just on the big league side, like you talk about the minor league side when we're throwing curveballs over there that we need backup pitchers, we need backup players, and we're adjusting their lineups their rosters on a given day. So the field coordinators bench coaches in the big leagues and then the minor league field coordinators as well, that they're dealing with a lot.

00:27:18
Speaker 5: More moving parts on that side.

00:27:20
Speaker 8: So the uh, those guys, they earn their paychecks and spring for sure, and I don't miss that part of it at all.

00:27:26
Speaker 4: What about you mentioned guys getting sent down? Guys, I'm gonna ask you the name, what are we doing? What are we doing a shortstop with some guy? I think his name's Connor griff Connery. You've heard of him a little bit, yeah, I think I've heard a little bit about it all.

00:27:40
Speaker 8: For those of you that haven't him in the office today, we did not, and you know, not sure how that's going to shake out. I'm just the I don't know if you've had a chance to talk to him yet. He is unbelievable mature, nineteen years old. And I think that's the thing that, at least for me trying to keep in mind is as a nineteen year old, what's that like? You know, when I was team I'm sophomore in college trying to, you know, figure out how to get better. And here he is fighting for to make a major league team. And the talent's there, the maturity levels there, the work ethic is there. How do we develop Connor Griffin at a rate that we know. Take into account he's nineteen, he's only had a handful of games at Double A. He has not played at Triple A yet, and balance all of that for what's what's best for him.

00:28:26
Speaker 3: He's already proven.

00:28:27
Speaker 4: I mean, he's he's sitting four hundred and fifty foot bombs in spring training off big league got what what's there for him to?

00:28:33
Speaker 5: What do you look for?

00:28:34
Speaker 3: I mean, I get the maturity side of it.

00:28:36
Speaker 4: But every time I've talked to him, and I've talked to him a few times, even talk to him today, he's.

00:28:40
Speaker 3: Just there and you can tell he's different than you or I or crack wait different.

00:28:46
Speaker 5: Well, I'll tell you what. When nineteen when I.

00:28:48
Speaker 8: Started off the first press conference when we were talking about the team and they asked me about Connor Griffin, and I told one of my buddies back home, I was like, man, I didn't look like that like that when I was nineteen, And I paused, I was like, you know what, I never looked like.

00:29:00
Speaker 5: That as far as this kid goes.

00:29:03
Speaker 8: And when him coming up, he never really played shortstop until last year. So the the bat and the at bats are one thing. The development at shortstop is a is another thing, and not saying he's handled himself really well and there's still room for him to continue.

00:29:18
Speaker 5: To get better and develop.

00:29:19
Speaker 8: And I think as we take everything into account on a whole, how do we put him in the best position to have the best career longest best career.

00:29:29
Speaker 3: If he's making the team, just give me a.

00:29:33
Speaker 5: You can stop in the middle, just.

00:29:35
Speaker 6: Blink, Just blink one time if he's going to make the team, Okay, during the rest of this interview, just blink one time. That's the only answer we need. But my question on that is.

00:29:47
Speaker 5: What it's windy, He's trying really hard.

00:29:52
Speaker 6: Hey, it's just it's just truth. It's just truth. But what is like what you guys are built to win? Now, all the talk of the offseason, you guys made moves to win. You guys have done it. You guys are built to win. You have Paul Schemes, Mitch Keller, all those guys in the pitching staff. Do you when you have conversations about Connor Griffin and obviously conversations about a forty man roster, conversations about the fact that he's young, conversations about that, you know, who do we have behind him. Does it ever get brought up that, well, what if we don't have him for the first month and we missed the playoffs by a game. Is that harder to make that decision now or would it be harder to live with it at the end of the season if you would miss the playoffs by one game.

00:30:38
Speaker 8: Yeah, that's fair, And I think that I don't think any of us have all the answers in regards to any of you know, roster decisions making the blast, just putting ourselves in the best position to be able to win as many games as we possibly can, and at the same time, taking every single player, whether it's Connor Griffin or anybody else.

00:30:58
Speaker 5: When you're talking about Ashcraft.

00:30:59
Speaker 8: Chin or Jared Jones coming back off of injury, how do we put them in the best position individually to have the most success not only this year but over the longevity of their career. And I think that, you know, it takes me back to last year when we were talking about Greg Brown is our play by play guy, and he asked me an interesting question going into the last game or Paul Sken's his last start last year, and he asked me if he pitches three and two thirds are you're going to take him out of the game because he was going to have a sub two era.

00:31:30
Speaker 5: Taught me off guard because I did not figure that out.

00:31:32
Speaker 8: Because to me, our number one goal is to keep every player healthy, safe, and develop them as best we can.

00:31:38
Speaker 5: Number two goal is to win the game. And then the third thing that we.

00:31:41
Speaker 8: Can accomplish as players that hopefully our guys appreciate too, is we want them to accomplish any individual things that they possibly can, which sub two era is fantastic. Well, if we can keep Paul Skins healthy and he's at a good pitch count and he gives us, which there's no doubt he gives us the best.

00:32:00
Speaker 5: Chance to win, I can't.

00:32:02
Speaker 8: I'm not taking him out of a game even at three and two thirds to accomplish at two sub two era, and he ended up going out and earning even better and had a one nine seven. So I think in taking all of that into account, keeping guys healthy safe, developed them at the pace that they need to to win games, and have them accomplish personal accolades, you know, is something that personally and I think as an organization that we try to place value in don when.

00:32:27
Speaker 1: You're looking at the whole Connor Griffin situation, and you're also thinking about Joey Bart, who had somewhat of a meteoric rise to the big leagues as well. Drafted in twenty eighteen, he's making his debut a couple of years later. Is that beneficial to perhaps have those guys talk Joey Bart, you know, with all of the expectations that came upon him getting into the big leagues so quickly, perhaps talking about the pitfalls of what could happen or maybe how to handle that situation.

00:32:51
Speaker 2: Is that Does that make sense?

00:32:53
Speaker 5: Yeah?

00:32:53
Speaker 8: I mean there's there's value in all kinds and experience from other players all the time. You know, when you said there and you talk about things that, like I referenced earlier in an interview today, like I have a lot of experience in a lot of different areas being a bench guy. Come you know, Cratzy and I can relate on a journey to the big leagues and a lot of guys don't make it when they're especially nineteen. But when you're talking about even twenty one, twenty two, twenty three years old to get.

00:33:20
Speaker 5: Up there with that pressure, I can't relate to that.

00:33:22
Speaker 8: So to have guys around that can that can help with that experience and be able to give back is something that you know is hugely valuable, not just from Joey Bart, from a lot of guys on our team.

00:33:34
Speaker 3: How have you relaxed today a little bit?

00:33:37
Speaker 6: Have I?

00:33:37
Speaker 4: Yeah? Well, O, Neil Cruz is back from WBC. He's healthy. Skeemes made it through healthy as far. I mean looks like I mean he was throwing a hundred against dr the other night. Have you relaxed as a manager now that are all your guys back? Is there someone on Venezuela that I'm missing?

00:33:52
Speaker 5: No, I believe all of our guys are are back.

00:33:54
Speaker 6: Well.

00:33:54
Speaker 8: Skeins isn't back yet, but he's done pitching and that was fun to watch, wasn't it?

00:33:59
Speaker 5: My goodness? What do you what?

00:34:00
Speaker 3: Racking? That is that there?

00:34:01
Speaker 4: As a manager, when your best pitcher, one of your best players is out there playing, you guys leave camp, they go there is that nerve right and now they're back and healthy or not back but done in healthy?

00:34:11
Speaker 5: Yeah? I guess so.

00:34:12
Speaker 8: I knowing Paul and our guys like, there's nobody that works harder, is more prepared and does the things like his in between his starts is so impressive, how he goes about it, the work that he puts in, so you know that he's taking care of himself and I and all of our guys do the same thing.

00:34:29
Speaker 5: And to your point, I really.

00:34:31
Speaker 8: Hadn't thought of that end, but yes, you know, really glad to have them back and Cruise he's in there today. Good to have him back in center field, and just really impressive what he was able to do on on that stage. I'm really looking forward to a great year from him.

00:34:47
Speaker 3: I think he can carry that over to the season.

00:34:49
Speaker 5: I think he can't, and I don't think it's necessarily from the WBC.

00:34:52
Speaker 8: His offseason was so good and he challenged himself in a way that helped him prepare for the twenty sixth season. And he came into camp ready to ready to compete, ready to go. And I think that he showed that here before he left. And then the biggest dude I've ever seen, Oh my goodness, it's crazy, isn't it. You got a lot of them with him, and schemes and and Connor Griffin playing shortstop at that size, were used to seeing schemes and some of the pictures, but I'm not used to seeing a center fielder that I say, oh, I feel like Ken Rosenthal talking to schemes the other and I'm like, oh my god, it's.

00:35:24
Speaker 3: Crazy, isn't it. How about he used to play short I know, insane, insane.

00:35:30
Speaker 1: Dondie, what's your in your opinion, the biggest question mark going into camp is it?

00:35:33
Speaker 2: Is it the starting catching spot?

00:35:35
Speaker 5: Is it?

00:35:36
Speaker 2: You know, what do you think it is?

00:35:37
Speaker 1: I mean, what do you need to see the final nine days of the spring to Derman, who breaks camp for the most part, I know a lot of your positions are set, but is it the catching spot?

00:35:46
Speaker 2: What's the biggest question mark?

00:35:48
Speaker 8: Yeah, I would say, well catching, you know, having Henry and Joey competing there, and I would say third base as well with York Yorknsalez Triolo and bringing to Callahan in is another spot that we still have competition at and and I think that that's going to be fluid through the year and how how guys are playing. And I think that the guys have embraced that, They've embraced that competition aspect of it, which has been fun to see because you know, we haven't had that at at times here with the Pirates, and I think it's exciting because when you have that competition, there may be somebody that goes to Triple A that that maybe deserves to make the team and somebody was just playing better at that time. So I think it's really exciting for where we're at right now and you know what's to come for us.

00:36:36
Speaker 6: In twenty six you mentioned your manager Jimmy Leland. Who's your Don Kelly to his Jimmy Leland, You're Jimmy Leland and you're Don. You're Don Kelly on this team, not necessarily the utility guy that can do all things, but the guy that you're like, the way that Jim Leland talked about you, the guy like I think you even made him cry one time. Just a type of person, the person that you are. But who's that guy on this on this roster that could even go to Triple A too?

00:37:06
Speaker 5: Yeah, the I think that may or may not have happened.

00:37:09
Speaker 8: I'm not sure, but I saw that bat impersonator guy in person, which was pretty funny when he was doing Leland for me. And it's a short period of time that I've gotten to know him. But Jake Mangum is that type of dude. I don't know if you guys have spent much time with him, but talking about a guy that's willing to do anything to help the team win. Fourth outfielder, fifth outfielder, pinch run, start game, switch it, laying it all out there every single day, and just the way that he's approached camp and the conversations that I've had, He's he's a he's a grinder man. He brings it every single day and he's willing to do whatever to help the team win.

00:37:42
Speaker 3: Is Leland the guy you fashion your game most after as a manager.

00:37:47
Speaker 8: I mean, I respect the crap out of him, playing for him and everything. That's how he treated me, you know. And you know the teams that I was a party, we.

00:37:56
Speaker 3: Compete against you.

00:37:57
Speaker 4: I told him time that I told him the story of the BBWAA where when I was doing TV, we had the Tigers in the postseason and you get the manager meeting for fifteen minutes.

00:38:07
Speaker 3: You go in there and Leland was talking about Don.

00:38:10
Speaker 4: You were hot one series and it was a lefty starting, and I think someone asked Leland, why isn't Don Kelly starting?

00:38:17
Speaker 3: Cigarette his voice Don Kelly couldn't.

00:38:21
Speaker 4: Hit a lefty with a boot, or you think I'm gonna play him against a lefty?

00:38:24
Speaker 3: And I said, Jim, you know that I still play in your division. He goes, Oh, You're so freaking stupid. You won't remember this tomorrow. Anyways, We'll be fine. And just I'm like, okay, Jim, Well, at least I know where I stand with you.

00:38:34
Speaker 4: And so I mean, do you sit there after the game and he'll remember He would eat his food and just se out and answer to the media as he's eating.

00:38:43
Speaker 3: Is that is that going to be your style?

00:38:44
Speaker 8: Well, no, I haven't had a cigarette in a while. I don't say the uh the one thing that you all you knew where you stood with them. I knew I wasn't gonna face a lefty, although we were talking about it the other day that there was one time he caught me off guard in the playoffs against the Yankees. He put me in as a defensive replacement to go in for into right field for Maglio.

00:39:06
Speaker 5: Maglio was leading off the next inning against C. C.

00:39:09
Speaker 8: Sabathia and had it was I came down, I Leland came walking down the dugout and he was like, hey, can you bunt? And that he mumbled it and there was so much going on. I was like, I was like what and he goes, can you bleep bunch? And I was like, I was like, well, we're gonna find out. And I went up and laid down a bunt actually got a base head off of it. And so that was just the way his his magic was being able to communicate and be clear on it and tell you the truth all the time.

00:39:39
Speaker 5: And I think so hopefully our.

00:39:41
Speaker 8: Guys would say that about me that I would like to take over into this minus a cigarette.

00:39:45
Speaker 3: I won't you.

00:39:48
Speaker 4: Because in Chicago, the people that don't know in Chicago, the cages, the busy and cages were in the basically in the home club out So at the time Jim had a son who was trying to play, and Leland would come over shirtless and just in his sliding shorts and throwing VP in the cages.

00:40:04
Speaker 3: So we'd walk in there, and I think he did it to distract us and ruin our day. So he is that is that what?

00:40:10
Speaker 5: Won't be doing that? No, but I wouldn't put it past him doing that for sure.

00:40:16
Speaker 4: Hold on, Thank you very much for joining us good luck this year, have a great team at Pittsburgh and we'll be right back on Balta.

00:40:21
Speaker 5: Thank you.